


Morally Red

by Writers_clock



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Brainwashed Carmen, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Evil!Carmen, F/F, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I love her, I love them okay, I’m bad a summaries, Julia is trying her hardest okay, Language, Like so much flirting, Memory Loss, No Beta, Not quite a slow burn but there’s quite a bit of buildup, Oh no there’s only one bed, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Sharing a Bed, Spoilers, Spoilers for Season Four, Temporary Amnesia, a bit of violence, and Julia tries to convince Carmen to join up with the others, but basically Carmen kidnaps Julia, but not suPER graphic, dont kill me, i put a little warning over the chapter that has the most, its like the end of season four except gayer, takes place right around the ending of season four, thats basically it, tragic, which was probably a bad idea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 30,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28816899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writers_clock/pseuds/Writers_clock
Summary: Carmen has been brainwashed by VILE, but her memories are slowly returning. Without anyone to trust, she kidnaps her favorite ACME agent, Julia, and runs off into the night
Relationships: Julia "Jules" Argent & Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep, Julia "Jules" Argent/Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep
Comments: 210
Kudos: 531





	1. Perhaps Regrettable

“Miss Sandiego, it’s me!” The strange woman held out her hand, refusing to draw her weapon. Her partner had similar reservations, but not quite so… delicate, in movements. “Please, you have to remember!”

_ Remember what?  _ Carmen scoffed, sprinting towards the woman and aiming several punches her way. The woman managed to dodge one, but then was flung away. “Enough. Get out of my way.” The woman crawled back to her feet.

“Julia! She does not remember! We must detain her!” The woman-presumably Julia -nodded as her French partner shouted. He held out handcuffs, looking roughed up. For a brief moment she considered letting Gray know, but he was such a bore these days. Perhaps she could have a little fun with the blue coats before stealing the jewel.

“Chase! Look out!” Julia shouted as Carmen rushed towards the French man. He attempted to block her hits, couldn’t stop her pure strength. He fell backwards, allowing her to roundhouse kick him in the face and knock him out.

“That’s gotta hurt,” Carmen smirked. They were powerless against her. She was the perfect criminal. She became VILE faculty stunningly quickly, got more money than any VILE operative ever had. 

Before she could turn to face the woman, someone wrapped their arms around her and placed something on her head.  _ Gray?  _

“Traitor,” she seethed as the device turned on. “Get off me!” She bucked in his grip, but his grip was strong. “You’ve got to be shitting me!” The device started to buzz, and images flooded her mind.

_ Jules. The redheads. Shadowsan. Fighting Gray, fighting Tigress - so much fighting. A strange hologram woman.  _ The images flashed faster and faster, overwhelming her.

“Gah!” Carmen finally shoved Gray off. The device clattered to the floor. “Shit!” Her head pounded as she struggled to take in the images. “You… sold me out to the bluecoats.”

“Carmen, it’s not like that-” Gray-no,  _ Crackle _ \- begged, trying to reason with her. “They… they took your memories, your empathy, they-” he was almost crying as she took his weapon and turned it on. “Carmen, you have to believe me. After all we’ve been through-”

“Shut the fuck up,” Carmen growled. She upped the voltage as Gray stood and began backing away. “You know how I feel about traitors.” His face of fear-an image flashed in her head, a strange man she didn’t know and Gray attacking him-then his face was back. “What did you do to me?”

“I’m trying to fix you!” he shouted defensively. Dimly Carmen was aware that Julia was no longer on the floor, but the rage within her was too strong.

“I don’t need fixing!” Carmen yelled, raising the weapon over his head. “Though you will, after I fry your brain…  _ Crackle. _ ”

Just before the electricity made contact with his chest, Carmen was tackled out the window. She lost her grip on the weapon, and cursed. The drop was steep-two stories at least. Whoever tackled her either knew about her paraglider or figured they would die.

_ Jules?  _ The images flashing in her mind told her to protect Jules. She grabbed the agent and pulled her closer, wrapping her in that nostorious red coat as she activated her paraglider. Moments later, her mind returned to her, and Carmen became aware she had just saved an enemy.

“Who are you?” Carmen demanded. The agent didn’t let go, her eyes wide and terrified as she saw how high up they were-and how fast they were going. “Who are you and who’s lying?”

“VILE is lying! They wiped your memories. Please believe me,” Julia begged, her grip on Carmen’s coat tightening. Carmen’s headache grew worse. “Where… where are you taking me?”

Carmen landed the paraglider on a nearby building and stole Julia’s weapon. “Nighty night,” she growled, shooting out the sleeping gas. Julia’s eyes rolled back and she collapsed in Carmen’s arms.

The question was, what should she do? These memories didn’t come from nowhere-and one of them appeared to be Dr. Bellum attaching a similar device to Carmen’s head. Who could she trust? No one. Perhaps not even herself.

She quickly took the tracking and communication devices from Julia, and handcuffed her arms behind her back. Anyone was trustworthy with enough fear, and perhaps this was her only way to get answers.

She took the comm in her ear and tossed it in the snow next to Julia’s, then picked her up once more. There were places she could go. After all, she had all of VILE’s intell and resources at her fingertips. But where?

One stop at a bank later, and she had several thousand dollars cash. She returned to small cove under the bridge near the airport, where she had left Julia.

“Miss Sandiego?” Julia asked nervously. Carmen studied her. It appeared she hadn’t attempted to escape, and had sat perfectly still when her consciousness returned. 

“You bluecoats are so formal,” Carmen said dismissively. Julia noticeably relaxed at Carmen’s casual attitude. Carmen frowned, and was pressing a knife to Julia’s throat before either of them could say a word. “Now. I don’t trust you, nor do I trust your group. But I don’t trust VILE, not right now.” Julia had stopped breathing, and Carmen smirked. “And if I think for a  _ moment  _ that you’re not going to help me, I will kill you without hesitation.”

“Understood, Miss Sandiego,” Julia squeaked. 

“Now,  _ Julia _ , we’re going on a little trip on the next plane to leave. You’re going to do  _ exactly  _ as I say, or you’re swimming with the fishes. Is-” Carmen leaned closer until their noses practically touched “-that-” she pressed her blade until it cut a thin line of red into Julia’s neck “-clear?” She finished by backing away.

“Crystal,” Julia swallowed.

“Call me Carmen. You people are so uptight,” she muttered.

“You are my captor,” she reminded Carmen. Her eyes widened as more images flashed through her brain.  _ Captive, taken… by VILE? _ “Are you alright?” Julia reached towards her,  _ Dr. Bellum’s hand attaching the device to her head- _

“Don’t you dare fucking touch me!” Carmen hissed, grabbing Julia’s arm and twisting it. Julia cried out in pain, and Carmen let her go, glaring. “Let’s go.” She unlocked Julia’s handcuffs and pulled her along. Julia remained quiet as Carmen led her through the streets. That was good; it helped ease the pain of Carmen’s headache. 

They reached the airport fence. Carmen tossed one of Dr. Bellum’s devices to a security camera. It beeped several times before smoke began to rise. That little device could take out every security camera on the premises. Carmen quickly attached her grappling hook to the top of the fence, wrapped her hand around Julia and pulled the two of them up and over the fence.

Julia was mostly quiet, giving nothing away, but her body portrayed a different story. Red cheeks, lip biting, leaning into Carmen’s touch, general nervousness. She hid it well, but Carmen could read people easily.

Julia was attracted to her.

Carmen didn’t blame her, nor did she care. It would make things easier later on when she needed information. For now she could utilize it to make Julia more compliant.

Then again, those blushing cheeks, those wide eyes and soft features… something seemed so  _ familiar.  _ That’s why Carmen had Julia, after all. To get answers about the images.

Carmen led Julia to an empty jet, opening it and climbing inside. Julia remained silent as Carmen turned it on, hacking into the plane to turn off radar. “You might want to strap in, co-pilot,” Carmen said, nodding at the empty seat next to her. “But if you touch a button you’re losing a finger.”

“Understood,” Julia replied quietly. Carmen tilted her head. There was something… soft and sad, about the way Julia acted. It made Carmen’s skin itch. She shrugged it off and began powering up the jet to fly. “We’re… stealing a jet?”

“Did you expect anything else?” Carmen asked dryly as the jet picked up speed, flying across the runway. Julia didn’t reply as they took off into the sky. Once they started going steady, Carmen put the plane on autopilot and turned to Julia. “So. Who do you think I am?”

“You’re Carmen Sandiego.  _ La femme rouge.  _ The crimson ghost,” Julia responded immediately. “You steal from VILE, and you’ve been looking for your mother for a long time-”

“She’s dead,” Carmen interrupted. “Don’t talk about my family. I want to know who you think  _ I  _ am.” Her family was dead-VILE was her new family. Though… perhaps not. Perhaps she was alone. 

“Very well,” Julia swallowed. She fiddled with her fingers. Clearly Julia needed some encouragement. Carmen pulled off her cloak and hat and brought out one of her knives, which she used to begin picking her nails. “I… you’ve always been very secretive. All we know… all  _ I  _ know is that you work with people named Zack, Ivy, Player, and-”

_Zack and Ivy. Twins laughing_

_ Player. A scrawny boy, a hamburger. A worried voice, a worried voice, a worried voice. First friend, best friend, oldest friend. _

__ “Player. Who is he?” Carmen demanded. She started to sweat, and her headache got worse. “Player…” before she knew what she was doing, Carmen was typing a number into the comms, tuning it for… something. “Player?” she gasped, suddenly unable to breath, suddenly-

“Carmen?” that voice. It brought more images, faster this time, making her headache worse. “Carmen, are you… on a jet?”

“Yes,” Julia replied. “I’m with her. The device didn’t quite work, but she’s starting to remember-”

The device.

“You did this to me!” Carmen seethed, grabbing Julia by her collar. “What did you do? What was the device?”

_ “It won’t hurt a bit,” Dr. Bellum assured her. “And when you come back, you’ll be the best operative that VILE has ever seen.” _

__ “Miss Sandiego, I-” Julia stammered, her face dusted in pink, her voice getting higher. Carmen glared, pressing the knife to Julia’s throat. 

“Who did this to me?!” Carmen demanded. “What did you do?” Her head pounded, and it got harder and harder to breathe, to think, she dropped the knife and rubbed her skull. “Who did this? Who? Why?”

“Carmen!” Player shouted, panicked. “Julia, she’s going to pass out!”

Carmen, however, did not hear the rest of what he said. She had passed out, the darkness warm and inviting.


	2. Castles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmen and Julia parachute out of the jet, and get a hotel room somewhere in Scotland.

Julia liked to think that she was… a woman of morals. And for the most part, she was.

But there was… one, tiny, minuscule problem with having a passed out Carmen in her lap while Player tried to hack into the jet so he could land them somewhere.

Carmen Sandiego, with or without empathy, was  _ beautiful. _

“What happened?” Player asked after a few moments. The plane was still steady, so he must’ve gotten into it. “Did the device not work?”

“It did, but… Carmen removed it before it could trigger a lot of memories,” Julia explained, doing her best not to panic. “She… she didn’t know who I was, but didn’t trust anyone. She said she would take me with her… so I could explain everything. She responded to your name, and called me “Jules” once…” she blushed as she remembered Carmen wrapping Julia up in that infamous red coat, protecting her as they fell. “She typed in your number or something, and then panicked.”

Player sighed. “We should get her to our place, or perhaps ACME. They need to build another device, and it sounds like Carmen’s… not herself.” He paused, and Julia heard the unmistakable sound of typing. “I’m rerouting your course. Keep in touch, okay? I’ll let the others know what happened.”

“Thanks,” Julia said, and he disconnected. Julia brushed hair out of Carmen’s face, sighing. “What are we doing to do?” She murmured. Carmen leaned into her touch. Julia swallowed. This was neither the time nor place for her to think of her feelings for Carmen. She leaned Carmen back into her chair, and tried to take some calming breaths.

It was another hour before Carmen woke up. “What happened? Where are we going?” She glared at Julia. “What did you do?”

“You called Player,” she replied evenly. Carmen flinched at that name, and Julia took that as a sign to continue. “We’re getting you home.”

“No.”

“No?” Julia repeated as Carmen got out of her seat and began rummaging through the back of the jet. “Ms. Sandiego, what do you mean? We’re getting you help… they can get your empathy back, your memories…” She glanced at the front of the plane. Player was certainly controlling it, and when the plane landed with no one inside, he would be concerned but figure what happened. It was risky to leave him a note, especially with Carmen still unstable. For now she would assume that Player could figure out what Carmen would do.

“Who took my memories?” Carmen demanded, glancing back. Her glare could kill - would’ve, if Julia hadn’t found it so attractive. She shook herself.

“VILE,” she explained standing from her seat and approaching Carmen. Her heart pounded. “To get you to work for them again.”

“But that doesn’t…” Carmen shook her head. “No. I don’t trust either of them - not your bluecoats, not VILE.” She suddenly smirked and turned, getting closer to Julia, who could now see her clearly. _ I really need to get some glasses _ . “You won’t lie to me, will you,  _ agent _ ?”

“I…” Julia swallowed. Despite Carmen’s words, she seemed… tamer, now. Julia couldn’t forget the ruthlessness, the  _ coldness  _ when Carmen was trying to steal the jewel. Still, perhaps some of her memories returning gave her some of that empathy back. She hadn’t threatened Julia again. Perhaps that was a sign she was slowly becoming more herself. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Ms. Sandiego.”

Carmen raised her brows and said, “I thought I told you to call me Carmen.” 

__ “If you insist.” Her reply was short and to the point. Carmen chuckled and smiled-a slow, threatening smile, similar to that of a fox.

“Now, agent, we are getting out of this plane, renting a cheap hotel for a couple nights, and then you are going to tell me  _ everything  _ I want to know. We’re going parachuting.”

“Out of the jet.”

“Out of the jet,” Carmen confirmed, grinning. “Scared?” It was a taunt more than anything, and made Julia’s blood boil. She joined Carmen in pulling on a parachute. “Are you ready, Ms. Bluecoat?”

Perhaps it was the idea of going parachuting, or perhaps Julia was feeling extra daring. “Call me Julia. You people are so uptight,” she stated. Carmen’s smile grew, and Julia glowed. Despite Carmen being not herself, Julia loved the idea of making Carmen smile. Lacking empathy didn’t mean she didn’t have a sense of humor, after all.

“Now, shall we?” Carmen asked, and yanked the door open. The Air Force alone tugged Julia out of the jet, which was expected. Carmen, however, was right behind her.

The falling was… enticing. A beautiful view blurry as it was without her glasses. Carmen grabbed Julia’s hand, and they were falling together. Eventually Carmen signaled that they should pull up their parachutes. Julia did as commanded, and floated towards the ground, landing in a field of some kind.

“Scotland, by the looks of it,” Carmen said as they landed, taking off her parachute. “They had roughly three thousand castles at some point. Now there’s about two thousand.” She pointed into the distance at a large stone structure surrounded by trees. “If I’m correct, that would be the Cavers castle.”

“Cavers castle? That was built upon a stronghold of the Balliols… it was repeatedly attacked and became a mansion of sorts ever since. Though I’ve heard it was up for sale and in poor conditions, or someone purchased it relatively recently... you probably were annoyed by all that, sorry,” Julia rambled. She knew regular Carmen would be excited with her, but this-as she kept reminding herself-was not the Carmen she knew.

“You sure do your research,” Carmen noted. “Cute  _ and  _ capable.” She began to walk towards the castle, sure of herself. “Come on. Either it’s abandoned, and we have a place to stay… Or it’s occupied, and we have a free ride.”

Julia was breifly distracted at Carmen’s compliment to register that she implied they would steal a car. She knew she couldn’t stop Carmen, but the idea of it was very… worrying? Unsettling? She couldn’t quite find the right word.

“You still have more to tell me,” Carmen reminded her. Julia cleared her throat, and jogged to catch up with Carmen so they walked side by side.

“From what I know, you are hellbent on on destroying VILE. Or… were.” She ignored Carmen’s steely look and continued on. “You… were kidnapped by VILE, sometime after stopping them at Egypt.”

Carmen stopped walking, her eyes wide. With a groan, she clutched her head, doubling over. Julia’s heart lurched. “Egypt. What happened there? I saw… you… that intolerable French man… Tigress? Countess Cleo? And the cleaners… they were attacking me,” Carmen said slowly. Julia tilted her head. It appeared certain trigger words would bring some of Carmen’s memories back, but it caused headaches and the memories were hard to understand.

“The old stash of VILE gold. A vault,” Julia explained softly. She didn’t dare reach out to Carmen again, but made her concern evident. The more memories she unlocked, the more Carmen seemed… like herself.

“Jules.” When Julia didn’t respond, Carmen looked up. She looked as though she had just run a marathon: sweaty, tired, and panting. “That’s what I… called you, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Julia confirmed. Carmen righted herself and kept walking, though she looked on edge.

“I believe you,” Carmen said after a moment. “VILE did something to my head… but that doesn’t mean I trust the bluecoats. I want you to tell me everything you know, and then I’ll… find Player. He seems important… like he was important to me. Especially now that I know Gray is a traitor…” she trailed off, and gave Julia a pointed look. “Is he?”

Julia swallowed. “He approached us. My… my agency. Told us they had done something to you, made you a villain against your will. He worked for them… still does, but he did so voluntarily. You? Not so much.” Carmen was quiet, contemplative. “He… is morally gray, I suppose.”

“Was that a pun I heard, Jules?” Carmen asked with a sly grin. Julia’s heart pounded as she heard the nickname said in such an affectionate tone. “And a clever one at that.”

“Perhaps,” Julia shrugged. Carmen studied her face, her easy grin fading. “You have glasses, don’t you? I saw them… you… you wearing glasses.”

“Well, you kind of… broke them,” Julia admitted. An indescribable emotion breifly passed Carmen’s face. “It’s not terrible. I can still see, just… not very well.”

“We’ll have to fix that,” Carmen mused. She didn’t apologize-her empathy wasn’t fully back yet-but she did at least offer to fix the problem. “So. How do I know you, then?”

Julia was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Carmen to ask about their combined past. “Well… I worked with my partner… the French man. He was hellbent on tracking you down. After a while, I was recruited into an agency of sorts. There I tried to convince everyone you were on the side of good, and even assisted you in several capers.” She sighed wistfully. “However, that agency still would not trust you, so I left it. I became a professor at Oxford, then you visited with questions about ancient relics. We worked to decode them, I was kidnapped by VILE, you saved me in Egypt… then were stolen away.”

Carmen tilted her head. “Friends?” When Julia nodded, the easy grin returned. “Nothing more?” She teased.

“I’m… not sure what you’re implying,” Julia lied. Her heart raced, and she forced herself to turn away from Carmen.  _ She knows exactly what she’s doing. _

“Sure, Jules,” Carmen laughed. “You know, I… the castle.” She pointed to a stone structure up ahead. “And it looks like it was sold.” Julia’s eyes settled on the car up ahead. “Perfect.”

“Are you sure-” Julia cut herself off as Carmen gave her a stern look.

“Follow me and keep quiet,” Carmen whispered. She crept through the forest until she was as close to the car as possible. From there, she stayed low and approached the car door. It only took a couple seconds of fiddling before the car door opened, and she crawled inside, guesturing for Julia to follow.

“Passenger seat,” Carmen commanded. Julia sat dutifully as Carmen messed with some wires underneath. It took less than a minute before she sat up, closing the door. “Off we go.”

The road from wherever they were was a bumpy one. When they reached civilization, Carmen stopped to get gas, but continued driving. It was several hours before Julia finally nodded off. By the time she awoke, she was in… a hotel room? 

Indeed it was a hotel room. Probably some isolated place in nowhere, Scotland. She sat up, and realized she had mostly likely been carried inside by Carmen, placed carefully on the bed, and tucked in. The thought made her cheeks go red.

She noticed a note (written in red pen, of course) on the bedside table, and held it embarrassingly close to her face in order to read it. “ _ Hey Jules! Went out shopping. The door is locked. Eat whatever you want in the mini fridge, and don’t try to escape or contact anyone. Carmen _ ,” she read aloud. So clearly Carmen was still paranoid Julia would try to contact someone, and was essentially keeping her hostage. Julia didn’t mind. Even if she figured Carmen’s version of shopping was theft.

From death threats to nearly flirting, huh. Julia would be lying if she said Carmen didn’t confuse her. She was still aggressive, and highly capable… but she remembered  _ some  _ things. She remembered enough to relax around Julia. Had some sort of interest in Julia, and wasn’t afraid to voice it. 

She wandered around the room. The lighting from outside told her it was nearly sunset: she had slept for a while, then. The room itself was quaint: a small kitchen, an even smaller bathroom, and… one bed. Julia hadn’t been living under a rock; she knew the cliche of  _ oh no, there’s only one bed in the hotel! I guess we could… share it, wink wink.  _ Carmen probably did this. If not her, then some sort of larger power did, and was probably laughing at her right now.

“You’re awake,” a voice said from behind her. Julia whirled around, nearly smacking Carmen in the face. “Didn’t hear me come in?” She asked, lifting her chin up. 

“You  _ are  _ a master thief,” Julia pointed out, crossing her arms. She nodded at the bags Carmen was holding, and then at the ones sitting by the door. “What did you buy?”

“Some glasses, for one,” Carmen said, and pulled them out. “I made sure I got your prescription… well, something similar.” Julia frowned-Carmen had certainly stolen them-but took the glasses from her grip. It was now that she could truly appreciate the woman before her. Dressed in a red crop top, black jeans, and her infamous choker with the gold triangle hanging from it. Farther up, her hair was in a bun, with small black earrings in and killer eyeliner. Her gaze drifted to the dark red staining Carmen’s lips

“Cat got your tongue?” Carmen winked, leaning down so they were face to face. Julia frowned, her face matching Carmen’s lipstick. 

“Can I not admire art?” Julia quipped, taking a step back and pulling the bags from Carmen’s grip. Carmen said nothing, but had a very satisfied look on her face as Julia sorted through the groceries. Most of them were relatively normal, but occasionally there was something expensive that looked… red. Julia held up a glittering ruby bracelet amid a bag of red and black clothes and raised her brows.

“It’s my color,” Carmen pointed out. “Practically screaming for me to steal.” Her voice dropped dangerously low. “Do you have an issue with that?”

“You are aware that I am, essentially, law enforcement, Ms. Sandiego?” Julia replied, unimpressed. At this point, she didn’t think Carmen would hurt her. She was too valuable. She turned away and began stocking groceries in the fridge and pantry.

“Back to Sandiego, huh?” Carmen teased, moving to pull the fridge door open so that Julia could put the milk and eggs away. “And here I thought we were friends.”

“You’re also aware that you’re my captor, aren’t you?” As tempting as Carmen’s comments were, Julia had to remember that this wasn’t her Carmen. This was a similar stranger, yet one that seemed awfully familiar. Julia shook herself.

“We can still be casual,” Carmen defended. “Very well, Ms. Argent. If you’d prefer, I can tie you up and threaten you. I’ve found you’re compliant with my questions and demands without the use for force, but whatever works for you.” She shrugged, feigning innocence.

Julia glared. Whether intended or not, Carmen’s comments were going to be the death of her. “If it’s all the same to you, I prefer our current arrangement.” She grabbed more items from the bags and began putting them into the fridge. When she closed it, she saw Carmen leaning against the cabinet, a sly grin on her face.

“Suit yourself.” She walked back to the door and picked up another bag. “Got you some different clothes, as well. I can’t imagine you want to wear that any longer.” Julia glanced down at her suit, which was dirty and crumpled. “You can go take a shower if you want. I’ll be making dinner. You must be starving since you slept through lunch.” She paused, and seemed almost… apologetic. Perhaps some of the at empathy was returning after all.

“I… thank you.” Julia took the bag from Carmen’s grip. Carmen shrugged and moved past her into the kitchen.

“Any allergies?” Carmen called as Julia headed towards the bathroom.

“None,” Julia confirmed. She stepped into the bathroom. It was fairly simple: glass shower walls in one corner, a tabletop with a sink and mirror, and a toilet. She leaned against the door and opened the sack to see what Carmen picked up.

Unsurprisingly, everything looked like it would fit perfectly. Among the rather casual wear Carmen had picked out, there were a couple items that looked… rather expensive. She wouldn’t be surprised if Carmen had stolen them. She studied one of the bracelets and discovered a sapphire bracelet, one that matched the ruby bracelet she had seen earlier. Perhaps this meant something, but Julia just really wanted to take a shower.

She undressed quickly, and stepped into the shower, observing it for several moments. She had been in a lot of apartments and crappy motels over the years, so she  _ should  _ be able to figure out how to use it. After a couple minutes of struggling, she managed to turn it on. The chilling water quickly turned searing, but Julia didn’t mind.

That lasted about five seconds, then she turned the temperature down.

Julia saw things much clearer now that she had time to think. Carmen was clearly unstable, and had no moral ground. However, she seemed to have taken a liking to Julia. She supposed this was all she could hope for until Carmen got her memories back.

Then there was, of course, the matter of Carmen’s family. She seemed under the distinct impression that they were dead. She wasn’t wrong about her father, but Julia knew exactly where Carmen’s mother was. Mentioning her family was a dangerous game. She had reacted badly when she found out Chief killed her father; who wouldn’t? Going through that again, especially when Carmen was unhinged, seemed unwise. She would have to wait on that.

So really, Julia had two options. Try to recover some of Carmen’s memories herself (something she wasn’t even sure she could do, considering how short the device had been on her head)... or try and contact someone.

She didn’t know how to contact them, exactly… but she did know Devineaux’s number. Contacting him seemed a risky game; Carmen always reacted badly to betrayal. She would have to remain as she was, then.

After finishing her shower, Julia changed into a navy t-shirt and dark grey sweatpants. She stepped outside of the bathroom, and a delicious smell hit her nose.

“Hey Jules!” Carmen called. She waved from where she was preparing dinner in the kitchen. “Thought I’d make something quick, so I’ve been trying my hand at…  _ cock-a-leekie  _ soup. It’ll be ready soon.”

“It smells divine,” Julia noted, getting some bowls and spoons from the cabinet. She set them out on the small table before grabbing some glasses. “How did you learn to cook?”

Carmen paused. “I… I think I’ve traveled quite a bit.” She frowned. “I’ve been all over the world and tried many kinds of dishes, though I don’t really recall ever trying to cook any of them. I suppose I must’ve, but…” she trailed off, then shrugged. “Anyway, it… is… done!” She grabbed a soup spoon and her bowl, serving herself some soup before handing the spoon to Julia.

Julia served herself some soup, and sat down next to Carmen at the table. She put the first spoonful in her mouth and almost groaned. “It’s heavenly,” she gasped after swallowing. Carmen smiled softly, clearly proud of herself. 

“I’m glad you like it,” Carmen said, smiling. She ate another spoonful, and looked thoughtful. “What’s your favorite dessert?”

“Candied fruit,” Julia responded immediately. It was a dessert that her mother made exceptionally well, and always tasted like home. “What about you?”

Carmen paused. “Probably red velvet cake, unsurprisingly,” she joked. “Favorite flower?”

“Roses. Red ones” That response was also automatic. The memory of Carmen giving her a bouquet of roses along with the artifacts she had stolen was still fresh in her mind.

“Interesting pick.” Carmen nodded knowingly, and for a moment Julia wondered if Carmen remembered that. “Mine is violets.”

“Violets? Not something red?”

Carmen chuckled. “Violets represent sapphic love. They’re also a color, but often described as blue. Besides I think they’re pretty.” Julia furrowed her brows. It definitely seemed like Carmen was flirting… that, or she had just admitted to Julia that she was a lesbian. “I like them.”

“They are pretty,” Julia conceded quietly. She swallowed and changed the subject. “Favorite book?”

Carmen tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury,” she decided. “It’s an interesting book. I… don’t know exactly when I read it though. Just that it’s dear to me.” She suddenly looked pained, and dropped her spoon. “Right, uhm… I read it to help Player study for something. He had to read it…”

“Are you alright?” Julia asked. She was tempted to reach out to Carmen, but remembered what happened last time. 

“I bought some painkillers. I’ll take them,” Carmen muttered. She stood, having finished her soup, and walked to a cabinet to get the medicine. Julia took their dishes and placed them in the sink with some water and soap before finishing off the little soup that was left.

“You made dinner. I’ll get the dishes,” Julia offered. Carmen smiled tiredly and nodded, moving out of Julia’s way. True to her word, Julia washed and dried the dishes and put them away. She then joined Carmen on the bed, but stayed as far away as possible. Carmen was flicking through channels seamlessly, but turned the TV off as Julia joined her.

“There’s only one bed,” Julia noted.  _ Way to point out the obvious. _

“That there is,” Carmen agreed, a mischevious gleam in her eye.

“I wonder how that happened.”

“One of the worlds greatest mysteries.”

Julia sighed and repressed a smile. “I suppose you’re going to sleep? Have you rested since you passed out?”

“Not a wink,” Carmen winked. Julia smiled at the visual pun, but that didn’t distract her from the concern she felt.

“You need to get some sleep,” Julia protested. She still sat cross legged, while Carmen had tucked herself in. “I’ll take… uhm…”

“We’re not twelve, Jules. We can share a bed,” Carmen retorted dryly. “I’m going to take a shower, and then go to bed. Get comfortable, I’ll be back in a bit.” She leaned forward and kissed the top of Julia’s head. Julia’s eyes widened as Carmen grabbed a bag and disappeared into the bathroom.

Julia didn’t have much to do when Carmen left. She didn’t have anything to work on, yet desperately wanted to distract herself. She didn’t dare try to leave the building, and yet needed to get her mind off of Carmen.

_ I know just the thing _ , Julia decided. If she focused on ways to help Carmen get her memories back… brainstormed, with something to keep her thoughts dimmed… She opened the fridge to find-surprise!-Carmen had “purchased” some fine Scottish whiskey. She poured herself half a glass and started on her list.

I“I never pegged you for much of a drinker,” Carmen noted as she emerged from the shower. Her hair hung in long wet curls. 

“I’m not,” Julia denied. Carmen raised her brows and tucked herself into bed next to Julia. “I just decided to try some Scottish whiskey. They are rather famous for it.”

“Whatever you say, Jules,” Carmen agreed. It was clear she didn’t buy it, but wasn’t going to push the matter. Julia flipped the TV off and finished off the rest of her glass. Luckily she hadn’t poured that much, and still had a clear head. The room was dark, but Julia could make out Carmen’s figure on the bed next to her.

Julia knew she wouldn’t fall asleep for a while. After all, she  _ had  _ fallen asleep earlier for who knows how long. She mostly just waited, counting Carmen’s breaths until they slowed. Julia pulled herself under the blankets, watching as Carmen shifted until she faced Julia. 

Julia couldn’t help but stare. It was impossible to deny how beautiful Carmen was. Today… hadn’t felt real. Dreamlike, almost. In no world she could imagine would Carmen make her a home cooked meal, then kiss her on the forehead, let alone share a bed with her. 

Even if Carmen wasn’t completely herself, Julia still cared for her. She couldn’t help it.

Carmen Sandiego would be the death of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why are they in Scotland? Plot reasons. All will be reveal, probably.  
> Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think!


	3. Villainous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmen takes Julia out to explore Jedburgh. They’re interrupted by an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to thank everyone for all your support!! It truly means a lot to me<3 you guys are the best!!

Carmen woke up before Julia did. She watched Julia’s chest rise and fall. Despite her reservations, Julia had curled close to Carmen as soon as she fell asleep. Carmen smiled as she untangled herself from Julia’s grip and went to go make breakfast.

“Carmen,” Julia murmured, refusing to give up Carmen’s hand. Carmen’s gaze softened. If what Julia said was true, she had no empathy. That made sense. However, something VILE couldn’t account for was completely different from empathy: affection.

Carmen liked Julia. She wasn’t quite sure why. Something inside her told her that Julia was trustworthy, that Julia was here to help her. It helped that Carmen found Julia to be exceptionally beautiful. Julia’s stubbornness and passion, her nervousness and kindness; it was all very enamoring.

“I’m just going to make breakfast,” Carmen said softly. Julia hugged her hand closer, but it was very clear that Julia was mostly asleep. Carmen pressed a kiss to Julia’s forehead and pulled her arm free.

Now: breakfast. She could always go for eggs and bacon. That was what she bought yesterday, after all. She put a pan over the stove and let it heat up. Breakfast was good, breakfast was something she could make to distract herself from the dream she had.

It had been her locked memories, presumably. Mainly fighting criminals, the occasional snippet of the twins she knew to be Zack and Ivy. Julia was there, too. Sitting at an office, giving a lecture, holding up one of those weird gas guns.

She was remembering more and more, but with her memories came a distinct feeling of guilt. It had only grown stronger since she had first passed out.

Carmen cracked an egg. There was so much she didn’t know. So much she  _ needed  _ to know. She could trust Julia, couldn’t she? Julia hadn’t made any escape attempts so far, and had answered every question honestly.

“Carmen?” Speaking of, Julia had awaken and approached Carmen. “Making breakfast, I suppose?”

“Yup.” Carmen added another egg. “After we eat, I have some more questions.”

“Actually, I brainstormed some things to help you remember last night. Places and things,” Julia explained. “However, I do suggest we take it slow. I wouldn’t want your headaches to become unbearable.” She handed Carmen two plates, and Carmen served them breakfast.

“I appreciate that, Jules, but I’ll be fine.” Carmen paused to watch Julia eat her first bite, smiling when her face lit up. “You like?”

“It’s divine,” Julia agreed, smiling. She looked thoughtful as she ate another mouthful. “I wonder if there are certain skills and knowledge you know from your memory blank that you just… still have. They could possibly unlock more memories.”

“Like Player and Fahrenheit 451,” Carmen nodded. “It makes sense to me.”

“Speaking of…” Julia pulled a list out of her pocket. “Does Paper Star ring any bells? You stopped her on multiple occasions… the Magna Carta, for example.”

“My former classmate.” Carmen closed her eyes. There was something there, but it was hidden. “Can you tell me more about the Magna Carta? It was… when we first spoke, wasn’t it?”

Julia sounded pleased. “Correct. It was on a train. I’m assuming Paper Star was on the train as well, and you fought there.”  _ There!  _ A glimmer, a spark of knowledge. “You also ran into my, ah, travel partner. Chase Devineaux. Handcuffed him.”

“Right… I locked him up, and then sat across from you to spy on Paper Star.” Her headache had started to return, but Carmen was so close. “We fought… and I got the Magna Carta back, and got it to you. Paper Star… stole Devineaux’s keycard from me. That… that created a whole mess, didn’t it?”

Julia nodded. “It did indeed.” Carmen opened her eyes to see that Julia was frowning. “Are you alright? Perhaps we should take a break.”

Carmen gave her a pained smile. Unlocking her memories was a  _ painful  _ process. She definitely needed more painkillers. “You might be right.” She quickly finished breakfast and took some painkillers with water. Julia began to clean up the dishes while Carmen rubbed her head. These headaches were very bothersome, and she needed some way to pass the time before the headache went away and she could ask more question.

Then again, there was something she could do.

“Get dressed, Jules,” Carmen said, grabbing her coat. “We’re going out.”

Julia blinked, setting the plates down into the sink. “Going out… where?”

“This wonderful town of Jedburgh!” Carmen smiled as Julia’s face lit up. “I knew you’d be excited.”

“Jedburgh Castle Jail and Muesum is here,” Julia reminded Carmen. “The cultural history of this place is very rich. Even Mary, Queen of Scots stayed here! It’s, uhm…” Julia cleared her throat, looking a little embarassed. “Very interesting.”

“I look forward to hearing more about it,” Carmen winked. Was the wink unnecessary? A little. But was the blush on Julia’s cheeks worth it? Absolutely. “You can go get changed, and I’ll finish cleaning up.” 

“I… alright.” Julia hesitated, then left for the bathroom along with the bag of clothes Carmen had purchased. Carmen smiled to herself, pleased. It seemed an easy way to spend the afternoon, and she had scoped the place out when she arrived. Luckily, she spoke Scottish, and many people spoke english.

“I’m ready,” Julia announced. She had chosen a white button up and dark blue jeans. Carmen’s eyes lowered to see that the sapphire bracelet she had stolen hung from her wrist.  _ She’s so cute,  _ Carmen thought as Julia wrung her hands, clearly aware of Carmen getting them matching bracelets.

“I’ll get changed, and then we can leave,” Carmen promised. “Don’t try to escape while I’m gone!” She kissed Julia’s forehead and slipped into the bathroom. When the door clicked shut, she picked out a somewhat matching outfit.

Some part of her wanted people to know that Julia was  _ hers.  _ Her Jules, her jewel. She knew that possessiveness wasn’t… wasn’t something Julia wanted from her, somewhere inside. But she was still a thief, despite Julia’s high expectations for her. Whoever Carmen was before her memories were taken… had certainly made an impact.

She applied dark red lipstick, clicked the ruby bracelet shut around her wrist, and left the bathroom. “Ready to go, Jules?” She asked, sticking out her arm.

Julia smiled and took it. “As I’ll ever be.” Carmen unlocked the door and swung it open. It clicked shut behind them as Carmen guided Julia out of the hotel. Julia looked at everything around them, almost as if amazed. Or perhaps…

“Where’s the car that you…” Julia trailed off as they reached the parking lot. Indeed, the car that Carmen initially stole was gone.

“I couldn’t have them tracing that back to us.” Carmen shrugged. “I got a different one, a rental.” She unlocked it and slid into the drivers seat. “We don’t have all day, Jules.”

“Right.” Julia looked pleased, presumably because Carmen hadn’t stolen another car. Well, that she knew of. Technically Carmen  _ had _ stolen it, she just faked a couple papers. She wasn’t sloppy by any means. 

“So, where do you wanna see first?” Carmen asked, pulling out of the parking lot. “There’s a map of the town under your seat.” Julia leaned down and grabbed it, studying it carefully.

“I’ve always wanted to see the Jedburgh Castle Jail,” Julia mused. “Though it  _ is  _ one of the most popular tourist attractions.”

Carmen tilted her head as she got an idea. “I’ll take care of that later. Where to first?”

“What about Jedburgh Abbey?”

“Perfect.” Carmen glanced over to see where Julia was pointing on the map, then took a turn. “So, what do you got? Any fun facts about this place?” She snickered when Julia gave her a dirty look. “What? I’m serious!”

“It was one of the four great abbeys established in the Scottish Borders, you know,” Julia informed her. “It even served the royal family.”

“Alexander II and Yolanda de Dreux were married here,” Carmen confirmed. “Actually, legend says that a  _ ghostly figure  _ appeared and foretold the kings death. In fact, he died later that year.” She grinned when Julia shivered. “Not a fan of ghost stories.”

Julia huffed. “I’m not  _ scared  _ of them,” she defended. “I simply find it hard to believe that they’re real.” 

“You don’t believe in ghosts? Spirits?” 

“Well, I’m not particularly religious.” Julia’s voice got a little quiet for a moment, but then returned in strength. “I suppose the idea of ghosts is just… silly to me.” She shrugged. “What about you?”

“Do I believe in ghosts?” When Julia nodded, Carmen shrugged. “Not really. What’s the point in believing in something with no proof? I say let the dead be dead, and let everyone else keep living.” Her voice grew tight with the last phrase as she thought of her parents. Dead.

“I suppose,” Julia agreed. “Oh… it’s closed. That’s a shame.”

Carmen did see the closed sign on the large fence. She also saw the perfect way to break in. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” She pulled the car into a parking lot nearby and hopped out, rolling down the windows before locking it. Julia had the dignity to look a little offended at being locked in, but all in all not surprised.

It didn’t take Carmen long to disable security cameras and any defensive systems that could come into play. Afterwards, she made her way back to Julia and opened the door. “After you, mademoiselle.”

Julia furrowed her brows. “Are you suggesting that we break in?”

“Think of it as a way for me to make it up to you,” Carmen suggested. “I did nearly kill you.” There it was-the smallest pinprick of guilt. It wasn’t anything big-and Carmen taking Julia around town was more of a way to win her over-but it was something. Something she didn’t think she could feel, something she  _ hadn’t  _ felt. “Would you deny me if I requested it? As a friend?”

Julia gave her a halfheartedly stern look. “I suppose, if you aren’t hurting anyone…”

“Who says I can’t hurt anyone?” Carmen challenged.

This time Julia glared. “Carmen, I forbid you from causing harm.” That didn’t seem fair. Then again, Carmen  _ was  _ rather fond of Julia. Julia, who had been nothing but kind, who Carmen instinctively felt the need to protect, who’s favorite flower was the same one Carmen remembered gifting. “Would you deny me if I requested it? As a friend?”

Carmen chuckled. “I’ll be on my best behavior, Ms. Argent,” she promised. “Unless, of course, someone attacks us, or they’re taking too long in line, or - hey!” She narrowly avoided Julia swatting her, then grabbed her hand. “Admit it: you think it’s kind of fun, breaking in,” she teased, leading her towards the enterance. Her other hand slipped in her pocket and grabbed her lockpick.

“I do not!” Julia denied, looking miffed. Carmen chuckled, letting go of her hand to pick the lock. “I’m offended you’re even suggesting such a thing.”

“Whatever you say, Jules,” Carmen winked, pulling Julia through the gate. Julia inhaled sharply, staring at the scenery. “Beautiful, isn’t it? I told you. Besides, now there’s no crowds.”

“For being brainwashed into… well, a villain, you’re surprisingly sweet,” Julia noted, still awed at the architecture. 

“A villain?”

“Well, you… you know,” she stammered. “You did kind of, uhm, kidnap me. Not that I wouldn’t have gone with you willingly, but you did lock me in the car. And in the hotel.”

“That’s just me being cautious, so you don’t call your bluecoat friends,” Carmen dismissed. “Not that I think you will, but it can’t hurt to be cautious.” There was that issue of trust. Carmen did trust Julia, she did… but she could never be too careful.

“ _ And  _ you stole a jet,” Julia reminded her. “And a car, and probably a lot of those groceries and clothes, and most certainly these bracelets. That seems a little… villainous.”

“Oh?” Carmen slung her arm around Julia’s shoulders and whispered in her ear, “So what you’re saying is… you like bad girls?” Julia froze, her face turning impossibly red. “Perhaps I’m only sweet to you,  _ Agent Argent _ . So you don’t take me in.” Her voice was teasing, but there was a hint of truth to it. She knew Julia wouldn’t betray her, not at this point. She wouldn’t hurt Julia either. They walked a dangerous line, between flirting and teasing, between enemies and friends. Between what Carmen had lost and what she had found.

Perhaps she had lost  _ and  _ found Julia. Certainly whoever Carmen was before didn’t appreciate Julia enough.

Julia cleared her throat. “Is your headache over?” She asked.

“Are you changing the subject?” Carmen countered, crossing her arms. When Julia huffed, Carmen gave in. “Yes, my headache is over. So. Tell me about… the theft of an ancient Chinese warrior statue.” It was something that she barely remembered, but recalled placing roses in the statues hand and leaving it outside Julia’s door.

Julia almost looked surprised. “Did you remember something?” When Carmen nodded, she tapped her chin, deep in thought. “Actually, I’m fairly certain you stole that  _ for _ VILE. Shortly after it went missing, you showed up at a… ball, of sorts, and told me you were stealing some caviar for VILE, and that you needed me to trust you.” She shrugged. “So I did. You stole the caviar, then a dinosaur bone, had me dress up like you, and then… dropped it all off outside my apartment.”

_ Zack and Ivy… mind wiped… El Topo… Dr. Bellum…  _

_ “Don’t you mean, Scarlet Santa Rosa?” _

“I… think I remember.” Carmen fought the urge to fall, fought the searing pain in her skull. Her eyes squeezed shut and she stumbled She felt hands steady her, and she looked up to see Julia’s concerned face. “Zack… and Ivy. They… they were kidnapped by VILE, and then VILE threatened to do to them… what they did to me.” She tried to clear her head, but she kept seeing Zack and Ivy in a prison.

“Carmen… maybe we should sit down.” Julia guided Carmen to the wall, and lowered her to the floor. It took Carmen several moments to slow her breathing. “Are you alright?”

“I’ve been better.” Carmen forced a smile. Despite the fact that she was recovering memories, she kept feeling… worse. She frowned. “Why are you helping me? I’ve been nothing but shitty to you… but then again, I  _ was  _ threatening you.” She chuckled, but the memory was painful.

“You also bought… well,  _ bought  _ me gifts and cooked me meals,” Julia pointed out. “I don’t blame you for… for what VILE made you, because I know that’s not who you are. And… I know you’re going to feel bad about it, when you get your empathy back, so I’m here to remind you that that wasn’t you.I can see that you’re trying… I don’t know.” Julia got more and more unsure. “You’re good inside. I’ve always believed that. I’m just here to help you find it again.” She stared at the ground.

“Julia,” Carmen said firmly. Julia finally looked at her, looking somewhat nervous. “Thank you.” Carmen’s cheeks were dusted with pink, and she looked down. “I’m glad it’s you helping me find myself again.”

Being honest, it was difficult for Carmen to decipher how she felt. The idea that she had changed that much, become  _ evil _ , didn’t sit well with her. Who had she been before that she was against  _ all  _ crime? Then again, the person she had been just a few days ago-the one who tried to kill Julia-seemed cruel. Was that how she was now? She valued Julia, and it didn’t really matter to her what the rest of the world thought. But Julia’s high opinion of her… was Carmen going to change that much again? Would she look back at these moments with guilt, would she return the bracelets or the clothes? Would she apologize for acting the way she was, right now, when she didn’t see anything wrong with it?

How much of her was herself? 

Her head started to spin. This was too much to think about,

“Carmen?” Julia repeated. Carmen swung her head around to look at Julia. “Are you alright? I’ve been saying your name for the past minute.”

“I’ll be fine,” Carmen promised. She couldn’t think of all that right now. She had to focus on right here, where she sat with Julia. Carmen stood and offered Julia a hand. “Come on; let’s see the rest of the Abbey.”

Julia smiled and took it. “It really is quite beautiful,” she repeated. 

_ Aha!  _ Carmen thought to herself.  _ A perfect opportunity for me to look directly at her, and say, “It really is.”  _ She chuckled at the thought, but before she could, Julia looked over at her. “You…”

“Yes?” Carmen asked. Julia seemed to lose her nerve. Her mouth formed one word, then it changed to another.

“Thank you for bringing me here.”

Carmen smiled. “I knew you’d like it. And you called me a villain.” Julia gave her a knowing look, and Carmen couldn’t help but laugh. “Indulge me: if  _ I  _ am a villain, then what does that make you? A hapless citizen fallen victim to my schemes? A hero who was at last captured?”

“Are those my only two options? Perhaps I’m the one who convinces you to join the side of good,” Julia suggested as Carmen picked the lock into the church itself.

Carmen shook her head. “I’d rather corrupt you with my wicked ways,” she decided with a grin. Though it hit a little close to home, joking about being a  _ villain _ , Carmen found it quite amusing. After all, every comedian she had ever met had some form of trauma. “Seems more fun.”

“I guess we’ll have to see who is more convincing.” Carmen swung the door open and grinned, watching Julia’s jaw all but drop. “It seems like I am.”

“It’s… stunning,” Julia breathed. “Maybe there is a....” She stole a glance at Carmen, then back at the church. Carmen smiled, because  _ was there anything more beautiful than watching someone you care for be happy?  _ She certainly didn’t think so. Finally, Julia took a couple hesitant steps forward, head swiveling around to take in the view. Carmen stayed a couple feet behind Julia, watching her take everything in.

“Do you think,” Julia said after a moment, “that when they built this, they imagined how future generations would see it? Do you think they knew that what they built would inspire for years to come?” She stepped into a patch of multicolor light from a stained glass window. 

“Sure, if they were pricks,” Carmen replied, deadpan.

“Carmen!”

“What?” She defended. “I’m just saying, if you do something because of how other people will view it, then you’re a prick. Take Alexander Hamilton for example - don’t deny it!” She pointed at Julia, who had gasped. “He was a major prick and obsessed with the ‘future’ and ‘legacy’. I say do something for the moment, for  _ your  _ goals, not for some future fame.”

“You didn’t have to attack Hamilton like that,” Julia grumbled. “But I see your point. Still, it’s not bad to wonder.” She turned in the light, closing her eyes. “As long as your reasons aren’t selfish, I don’t think you’re a jerk for wanting your efforts to be appreciated.”

Carmen shrugged. “Perhaps.” She watched Julia in the light, unable to look away.  _ I hope this memory doesn’t turn bittersweet.  _ A slow smile appeared on Carmen’s face as she got an idea. 

Carmen aimed her grappling hook for the ceiling and pulled herself up. Carefully she made her way to the stain glass window Julia was under, until her silhouette blocked out the light. “Hello?” Julia’s voice was quiet from the distance.

Carmen cleared her throat, and said in the deepest voice she could manage, “The end is near!” She lept from the window and fell, causing Julia to shriek. At the last moment, she activated her paraglider, snatching Julia from the air and skidding to a stop a feet meters later. After the collision, she hesitantly opened her eyes to see that she was pinning a very unamused Julia to the ground.

“Ms. Sandiego, you… you… you…” 

“And here I thought you didn’t believe in ghosts,” Carmen tutted. Julia glared, and with a sudden burst of force switched their positions so that it was she who pinned Carmen to the ground.

“You… are  _ incorrigible _ ,” she growled. “And here I thought you’d be on your best behavior.” After a few moments of her pinning Carmen and Carmen tauntingly raising her eyebrows at the position they were in, Julia leaned back and sat on the floor, allowing Carmen to get up.

“It was a little bit funny.” Julia glared, and Carmen laughed. “My  _ deepest  _ apologies. All is forgiven?”

“Absolutely not.” Julia stood, stalking away. Carmen laughed again, getting up and chasing after her.

“Come on, Jules. You  _ want  _ to forgive me.” She followed Julia as she exited the church and headed for the car. “Wasn’t it just the least bit entertaining?”

Julia studied Carmen’s face for several moments. The longer she did, the more her resolve broke. “You’re lucky you’re so beautiful,” she muttered angrily, her face dusted in pink. 

“Do you forgive me?” Carmen repeated, winking. Her gaze drifted past Julia and to an alleyway nearby.  _ Is that…  _

“Fine,” Julia agreed. “But… Carmen?” She called. Carmen was already halfway across the parking lot, heading directly for the alleyway. “Carmen?”

The figure tried to escape, but Carmen tackled them to the ground. “Long time no see,  _ Sheena. _ ”

“Oh please,” Sheena-Tigress, Carmen corrected herself-snorted. “It’s been a couple days at most.”

Carmen narrowed her eyes. “What are you doing here?” She demanded.

“I expected a warmer welcome, Carmen,” Tigress hissed. “What’s wrong with you, did…” she trailed off as Julia appeared in the alleyway. “ _ Oh.  _ It’s your little bluecoat pet. Guess you defected. That makes me feel better about this.”

Tigress kicked at Carmen, barely escaping her grip, and clawed her back. Carmen hissed in pain, but it was quickly replaced with fear.

Because Tigress was hurling directly towards Julia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter surprisingly didn’t take me that long, but I’m not sure I can keep up this fast updating schedule. Enjoy it while it lasts!


	4. Claws

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmen and Julia deal with Tigress, and Julia finally convinced Carmen to reach out to Player.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are seriously the best!! Thanks for all the support, it really motivates me to keep writing!! Here’s another chapter (a bit shorter than yesterday) and good day to all!!

Julia saw Tigress lunge towards her. She heard Carmen’s cry. She remembered Egypt, and what she endured there, and what Carmen did to save her, and-

Right. Back to Tigress, lunging at her.

Julia twisted, narrowly avoiding the brunt of Tigress’s blow. A claw caught her arm, ruining her shirt and digging into her skin. She winced, but didn’t give Tigress the satisfaction of yelping in pain.

Tigress didn’t waste time in running, trying to escape. Unfortunately for her, Carmen was quicker. It was only a matter of time before Carmen had Tigress captured once more. She dragged Tigress back into the alley.

“Jules.” Carmen’s voice was cold, and Julia finally saw it. The coldness, the  _ ruthlessness.  _ The most effective VILE operative to ever roam the earth. This person before her was everything ACME thought Carmen was. A stark contrast to the warm woman she had been earlier. “In my front coat pocket, I have zip ties. Get them out.”

Julia swallowed and nodded. Carmen’s face softened as Julia reached into her pocket. “Are you alright? She didn’t hurt you, did she?” Her eyes lowered to the scratch, and narrowed as she turned back to Tigress. “You’re going to pay for that.”

“I’m okay,” Julia promised. “It’s only skin deep.” She hesitated, then placed a reassuring hand on Carmen’s shoulder. Carmen softened at her touch, and gave her a reassuring smile.

“I  _ told  _ them!” Tigress hissed as Julia and Carmen started to tie her up. “I told them. ‘Make Carmen faculty’, they said. ‘It’ll be fine’, they said.” She glared at Carmen. “Their  _ perfect little pet.  _ I knew it was only a matter of time before you defected. First Shadowsan, with his  _ oh so high morals,  _ and now you.”

Carmen’s teeth gritted, and even Julia’s blood boiled. Still, she forced herself to remain calm. Carmen needed her. The look in her eyes was similar to the one she had when she had nearly killed Graham. Head reeling, she realized she had missed a very important part of that. “ _ You’re  _ VILE faculty?”

Carmen shrugged. “It means I have full access to everything.  _ Including  _ personalized weapons.” She ripped the mask off of Tigress’s face, and began taking her weapons and devices. “Now. What to do with you?”

“What?” Tigress spat. “You’re not gonna do anything. You’ve gone  _ soft _ . I can tell just by looking at your little pet.” Her gaze settled on Julia, and it was…  _ unnerving.  _ It was as if Tigress was trying to skin her alive. 

“That’s where your wrong,” Carmen said softly. “The one good thing about being a  _ villain… _ ” Carmen wrapped her hands around Tigress’s throat. “... is that you can go to extremes to protect those you care about.” Tigress gasped for air, genuine fear in her eyes.  _ Maybe you shouldn’t have taunted her,  _ Julia thought dryly. She realized that Carmen wasn’t letting up, and her fear spiked.

“Don’t!” Julia cried as Carmen pressed a little deeper. “Carmen, please.” Carmen stopped, and Tigress began coughing. “You’re not a killer,” she continued softly. “Please.”

Carmen stood, leaving Tigress tied up on the ground. She leaned against the wall, and sighed. “Fine.” She turned to Tigress, and the anger in her voice returned. “She’s the only reason you’re alive. If you  _ ever  _ hurt her again, I will  _ rip you limb from limb with a smile. _ Understood?”

“Fuck,” Tigress wheezed. She shifted so that she was sitting up, and spat on the ground. “Little bluecoat really did a number on you, huh. You’re still tainted though. You can take the black sheep from evil, but you can’t take the evil from black sheep.”

“An outdated phrase,” Julia cut in. She stepped in front of Carmen, and stared directly at Tigress. “I would refrain from taunting either of us.” She turned around and saw Carmen aiming her sleeping gas gun at Tigress. One puff and she was out like a light.

“What? She was getting annoying,” Carmen shrugged. Julia gave her half a smile, and Carmen returned it before sighing. “What do we do with her? If we let her go, she’ll alert the rest of VILE that I’m… not with them anymore. They would also know if we took her to the local police. That would scare them out of their newest hideout, and who knows how long it’d take to track them down again.”

“You know where VILE’s main base is?” Julia’s head was spinning. “We could… we could take them out for good!” She paused to assess Carmen’s face. She didn’t look against the idea, but…

“No one’s going to lock you up,” Julia promised, and Carmen flinched at how easily she had been read. “But… if you allow me to contact ACME, or even if you can contact Player again, we can tell them where VILE’s base is. They can storm it with the element of surprise.” She placed a hand over Carmen’s. “You’ll be with me the entire time.”

Carmen hesitated. “I… want to clear something up. But first, let’s get out of this very suspicious alleyway.” She picked up Tigress’s unconscious body with ease, and began carrying it back to the car. Carmen glanced back at Julia and added, “And clean up your scratch.”

Julia looked down at her arm. So much had been going on, she had almost forgotten about it. It hadn’t been a deep wound, so she was mostly fine. “You’re hurt too,” she realized, pointing to the scratches on Carmen’s back.

Carmen shrugged. “I’ll clean it up. C’mon.” Once at the car, she gagged Tigress and stuffed her in the trunk. “Should we head back to the hotel?”

“Probably,” Julia agreed. She watched Carmen’s unreadable face as they started to drive.  _ Why’d you say you wanted to clear something up then say nothing? Talk about anxiety inducing,  _ she thought to herself. Luckily, the silence didn’t last.

“My parents.” Carmen’s voice was tight. “You mentioned that my mother was alive.”

Julia inhaled sharply. “Yes,” she breathed. “How… how much do you know?”

“I’m not sure what’s real and what’s not,” Carmen explained, her eyes glued to the road. “So why don’t you tell me everything you know first.” Her voice left no room for argument, but Julia could see past the coldness. Carmen was scared.

Julia placed one hand on Carmen’s, then spoke. “Your father. Dexter Wolfe. He was VILE faculty.” Carmen didn’t react, so she continued. “He fell in love with a woman named Vera Cruz… or Carlotta Valdez. They eventually had a baby together… and that was you.” Carmen swallowed, and Julia squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Your father wanted to leave VILE. Live a normal life with you and your family. But he was shot by an officer, and died.”

“What about Shadowsan?” As Carmen spoke the words, her eyes widened. “He found me… brought me back to VILE. He’s not a traitor.” She exhaled all at once. “And the officer…  _ chief. _ ”

Julia said nothing. If this turned out like last time… that would be bad. Finally, Carmen spoke again. “I had to work through all this, didn’t I.”

“Yes.” Her voice was small. Carmen finally looked over at her, as they pulled back into the parking lot of the hotel. Before getting out, Carmen leaned over and kissed Julia on the cheek.

“Thanks for being honest, Jules,” Carmen said quietly. Julia’s cheeks flamed, and she couldn’t move. Carmen grabbed Tigress from the back and motioned for her to follow into the hotel, smiling. Julia quickly joined, and they managed to sneak Tigress inside. Well,  _ Carmen  _ snuck Tigress inside. Julia walked in like a normal person.

Once they actually entered the room, Carmen got Tigress situated, tying her to a chair, sitting her in a closet, and giving her an extra puff of sleeping gas for good measure. Julia grabbed some supplies for first aid.

“You got hurt worse than I did. Take off your jacket and sit down,” Julia instructed. Carmen raised her eyebrows, but Julia refused to be embarassed.

“Whatever you say, doc,” Carmen agreed, sitting down at one of the kitchen tables. She pulled off her jacket, allowing Julia to examine her wound. Though it wasn’t deep enough for stitches, they were nasty cuts, three lines dragging from her right rib to her spine. “Do you need my shirt off two?” Carmen asked in a teasing tone.

“You won’t need stitches,” Julia announced, ignoring Carmen’s comment. Though… it  _ was  _ rather hard to address the wound. Finally, she sighed. “Yes.”

Carmen laughed, and pulled it over her head, leaving her in her sports bra. Julia got the paper towels wet and began cleaning the scratches. “You know,” Carmen started, “if you wanted me shirtless, you could’ve just-ouch!” Julia had pressed a bit harder into one of her wounds. “I get it, I get it.” She fell silent for a couple moments, then craned her neck to look back at Julia. “Admit it, you  _ like  _ my commentary.”

“I would refrain from teasing the person who is treating your wounds,” Julia advised, her cheeks tinged pink. She finished cleaning up and got the bandages out. 

“Can I sue you for malpractice?”

Julia raised her brows. “You can certainly try, but you  _ are  _ a wanted criminal.  _ Don’t…  _ try and turn that into a flirtatious line,” she warned as Carmen opened her mouth. She slowly began wrapping the bandages around Carmen’s chest. 

“I’m almost hurt,” Carmen fake gasped. “Do you not appreciate my tripe?”

“You  _ did  _ scare the living daylights out of me earlier. I would  _ not  _ recommend testing my patience,” Julia reminded Carmen.

“I kind of dig it when you get all responsible and huffy.” Carmen gave Julia a sly grin as the woman finished wrapping up her wound. Julia quickly cleaned up her scratch with a small bandage. It wasn’t nearly as bad as Carmen’s.“Makes corrupting you with my villainy that much more fun,” Carmen added.

“We  _ did  _ just kidnap someone,” Julia admitted. “Speaking of… can we contact either ACME or Player? Not only could we take down VILE… but they have a device that could bring back the rest of your memories.”

“The one I destroyed?” Carmen asked, unimpressed.

“It worked, didn’t it? I’m sure they have another one in the making,” Julia assured her. Carmen didn’t seem entirely against the idea, but there was something holding her back. “You know we can’t stay here forever,” she added after a moment.

“Didn’t mean I couldn’t hope,” Carmen sighed. She picked up her shirt, which was ripped and stained in red. “I liked this one, too.”

“Please at least consider contacting someone?” Julia begged. Kidnapping Tigress didn’t sit well with her, and if one operative came, surely more would. The sooner they could take out VILE, the better.

Carmen tapped her chin as she stood, turning around to face Julia. “I’ll try and contact Player again… with a few conditions.”

“Anything,” Julia promised.

“One: I will tell ACME where VILE’s base is, but I reserve the right to back out of any… memory voodoo shit they try and pull.” When Julia nodded, she continued. “Two: if I have to deal with ACME agents, I’ll only talk if you’re there.” Julia smiled at that. “Three…” she tapped her cheek. “A kiss?”

Julia rolled her eyes.  _ You really are incorrigible.  _ Carmen laughed. “Aww, Jules, you don’t-”

Julia gave Carmen a peck on the cheek. It was quick; if someone had blinked, they would’ve missed it entirely. “Satisfied, Ms. Sandiego?” Julia quipped. Carmen smiled slowly, her cheeks flushing. “Now go put on a shirt.”

Carmen laughed-a loud, hearty laugh-and it was the most beautiful thing Julia had ever heard. “Right on, Jules.”

While she changed, Julia leaned against the wall, her head spinning. After everything that had happened, Julia had to face the facts: Carmen liked her. Carmen, the woman she had pined over since their first meeting,  _ liked  _ her.

“So,” Carmen said, having returned from the bathroom with a brand new shirt. “I’m  _ pretty  _ sure I remember the number I called to contact Player, but I was also freaking out. Here’s to hoping!” She stood by the phone, and stared at it. And stared. And stared some more.

Julia put a reassuring arm around her, and Carmen gave her a worried smile before dialing the number. It rang for a few moments, and then…

_ “Red? Is that you?” _

“Player?” Carmen sounded hesitant.

_ “It is!” _ Player’s voice was overjoyed.  _ “Is Jules with you? In…”  _ There was a pause, and the sound of typing.  _ “Jedburgh, Scotland?” _

“I am,” Julia piped up.

_ “I’m sending Ivy, Zack, and Shadowsan there right now. But Red, are you okay? Have you remembered anything?” _

“I… I have, actually,” Carmen replied. She swallowed, squeezing her eyes tight. “Sorry for dipping on you. And… for everything else.”

_ “We’re all glad you’re okay,”  _ Player assure her.  _ “That’s all we care about.”  _ He paused again.  _ “I’ll let ACME know that you’re safe as well, Jules.” _

“Actually,” Julia cut in, with a glance at Carmen. “We have a message for them. A… location. Of VILE’s headquarters.”

“It’s… here in Scotland, actually,” Carmen said softly. “An abandoned Castle in the Outer Hebrides.” She paused, and seemed to struggle with what to say. “I… it’s really good to hear your voice again, Player.”

_ “Same here, Red. We’ve been so worried about you. The team should be over there in about twelve hours, and I think ACME is prepping to send agents to their fort. I’ve pinpointed their location.”  _ Again, there was a pause, and aggressive typing.  _ “It’s good to have you back.” _

“It’s good to be back.” Carmen glanced at Julia, and smiled.

What Julia wouldn’t give to see that smile every day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... they finally got together! Kind of! And Player’s here too!! Yayy!! What a chapter, started kinda angsty and ended up cute. I wonder if it’ll last??


	5. Lipstick Stains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmen and Julia take a hike, then return to their room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I can’t thank you all enough for the support!! It truly means a lot to me<3

“So is this…  _ your  _ attempt at luring me to the side of good?” Carmen asked. After their call with Player, the two of them left to get lunch at a small restaurant nearby. Julia had picked it out, and declared it was her turn to take Carmen around town.

A town neither of them had been to before, but whatever.

“I would argue that I already have,” Julia pointed out, and Carmen chuckled.

“Perhaps I just have a very long and convoluted plan,” Carmen offered. Julia gave her a half smile. “It’s possible!”

“‘I have a few conditions.’” Julia repeated Carmen’s words in a teasing tone. “‘One of them is you have to kiss me on the cheek, after I’ve been flirting with you for the past two days, and I’m currently doing so again.’” She raised her brows as Carmen coughed, her cheeks tinged pink. “What was that about a long and convoluted plan?”

“That was quite frank of you,” Carmen noted. She had wondered when Julia was going to address Carmen’s actions other than to dismiss them. Apparently, that was now. “So what I’m getting is…”

Julia threw a crumpled napkin at Carmen. “Don’t finish that sentence,” she warned, and Carmen winked. Julia’s freckles stood out against her blushing cheeks, and Julia fidgeted with her hands. “You  _ are  _ rather obvious about it.” She took a long sip of her drink, and Carmen propped her chin on her hand, unabashedly staring. “What?”

“Nothing,” Carmen replied quickly, smiling. Julia did  _ not  _ look convinced, but before either of them could do anything, a server appeared with the check. Carmen pulled out her bag of money that she had… well, stolen from the bank, but that part wasn’t important. She put the cash next to the check while Julia stacked their plates. “So, where to next?” Carmen asked as they left.

“Perhaps the Borders Abbeys way?” Julia suggested. “Not the whole thing-I think it’s about sixty miles long-but we could do part of it.”

“Sounds good,” Carmen agreed. She opened the door to the passenger’s seat. Julia kissed her on the cheek before sliding in.

Carmen blinked. A quick glance at Julia told Carmen not to comment on it: she appeared somewhat embarassed. She smiled to herself as she got in. 

It wasn’t like Carmen was afraid to ask Julia what their relationship was, exactly, but… she was. After all, she still didn’t have all of her memories back. She had a good chunk, of course, but she didn’t feel  _ whole.  _ Being with Julia made her want to be her best self, and defining that relationship could end up… badly.

“It looks like it’s… down a couple streets, to the left…” Julia squinted at the map. “Yeah… down the street.”

“Jules.” Carmen nudged Julia.

“Yup?”

“We’re at a dead end.” Julia looked up from the map, to the closed street ahead of them. “Road work ahead,” she added. Julia rolled her eyes, and turned back to the map. 

“I suppose we could take a left now…” she squinted again. “I’m used to driving, you know. Agent Devineaux was banned from using ACME vehicles.”

“If I recall correctly… he  _ was  _ rather good at crashing. And fashionably late.” Carmen and Julia both chuckled. “It seems a little strange. Knowing… about Devineaux, and remembing certain things, but knowing there’s a bigger picture missing.” She shrugged. “It’s weird, knowing that there’s so much about myself that I don’t remember.”

“I can’t imagine how that must feel,” Julia said softly. “You’ll get them back soon, and then…” she swallowed back her words. “Then you can finally meet your mother, and… and everything will work out.”

“What about your family?” Carmen asked. Julia seemed surprised by the question, and paused for a moment before answering.

“My father died shortly after I was born. I lived with my mother in Britain for the most part, and moved away to work at Interpol,” Julia explained. 

“ _ Britain _ ?” Carmen raised a brow.

Julia sighed. “ _ Care for a spot of tea? Lovely weather out, innit _ ?” she said in a British accent. Carmen snorted. “Is that good enough for you?”

“I might need to hear it again, just to verify,” Carmen chuckled. Julia elbowed Carmen, but she was grinning. “Looks like we’re here.”

“That we are,” Julia agreed. The two of them exited the car. “The trail should be just over there.” She grabbed Carmen’s hand and began to pull her along.

Carmen blinked, then smiled. Julia had been getting bolder in her actions. Perhaps that meant Carmen needed to up her game. She held up Julia’s hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. 

Just as she suspected, Julia got flustered. “So, uhm… you never told me much about your childhood,” she said quickly. 

Carmen tilted her head. “Well, I was raised by VILE. I had a series of tutors when I was younger, and they taught me a lot about their separate languages, cultures, and geography.”

“How many languages do you know?” Julia asked, intrigued. Carmen shrugged. “Le français?” _ French?  _ The words were perfectly pronounced, as expected of someone who had lived and worked in France.

“Oui, mademoiselle,” Carmen confirmed.

“普通話?”  _ Mandarían? _

“Yup.” When Julia remained silent, she added, “Out of languages?”

“Sadly, yes,” Julia sighed. “How many more can you do?”

“A lot. VILE was pretty obsessed into turning me into their ‘special weaopn’.” Carmen’s voice grew sour. This was not what she wanted to be discussing on her date with Julia. “Anyway… why’d you pick out here?”

“Well… it’s quiet,” Julia began. “Not a lot of people. I’m not a huge fan of crowds-lost you in too many of them-and the scenery is nice. I know everyone will be really excited to have you back, so I figured….” her voice grew quiet.

“You wanted to be alone with me for a while?” Carmen guessed. “I’ll always make time for you, Jules.” She squeezed Julia’s hand reassuringly. Julia smiled before biting her bottom lip. She seemed torn about something, but Carmen didn’t know what. 

Though Julia’s hesitancy was a little more apparent, Carmen’s was there. Did she want to be with Julia, make her happy, take her on dates, protect her? Absolutely: an easy question to answer. But did she trust herself to be the right person for Julia?

That was a much harder one. Then again, maybe it didn’t have to be. Carmen felt guilty about what she had done,  _ been  _ doing, for VILE. And it seemed that Julia had already forgiven her. But she still would not hesitate to kill if she thought she or anyone she cared about were in danger.

That wasn’t necessarily bad, right?

_ Julia promised she’d stay with me when I got my memories back. She hasn’t left my side. She’ll be there to stop me if I cross a line,  _ Carmen assured herself. It was enough to quiet the insecurities, but she knew they would resurface.

“You know,” Carmen said after a moment. “I’ve always liked it out in the woods. VILE academy was originally on a lush paradise island, and whenever I got upset or wanted to hide, I would run into the woods.” Her eyes wandered through the woods. It truly was beautiful out, with singing birds and rustling creatures. “Scotland is lovely.”

“We should go traveling sometime. After you get your memories back, I mean,” Julia added quickly. “We would run into each other in foreign countries while working, of course, but never go sightseeing together. It’d be fun, wouldn’t it?”

“Very,” Carmen agreed. They passed another group hiking and waved. “Where would we go? I’ve always wanted to visit Voyaguers National Park in Minnesota and parts of Canada. All those lakes and islands, and very secluded,” she winked. Julia squeezed her hand affectionately. “What about you?”

“I’ve always wanted to visit Iceland,” Julia admitted. “Such a small country, with natural springs everywhere, beautiful mountains… it sounds peaceful.” She shrugged. “Really, I’d travel anywhere with you.”

“That’s almost  _ surprisingly _ sappy for you,” Carmen teased. “Can’t say I don’t share the sentiment, but all the same.”

“It wasn’t that sappy,” Julia defended. “You’ve said way worse.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes really!” As the words left her mouth, Julia tripped. Carmen reached to grab her, and they ended up in a full on French dip.  _ Looks like you just fell for me,  _ Carmen thought smugly. However, Julia’s face was far more smug. “You just thought to yourself, ‘Looks like you just fell for me’, didn’t you.”  _ Unbelievable. Was that whole fall staged? _

Carmen dropped Julia. She landed on the dirt trail with a “Hey!”. Julia stood, dusting off her pants. “I was right, wasn’t I?”

“Cheater,” Carmen huffed. “That doesn’t count because you staged it.” Julia laughed, grabbing Carmen’s hand once more. “Well, fine, maybe it does,” Carmen relented. “Only because I have a soft spot for you.”

Julia’s smile was unbearably sweet, but it faded. “You know, there was…  _ one  _ other reason I picked this place.” Julia stopped walking, and pointed out at the view from the small clearing. “And I was hoping I’d be able to work up the courage to do it.”

Carmen could already see where this was going. She kept her eyes on the lake before them, and said, “Which is?” Julia didn’t respond at first, and Carmen looked over to see that she was wringing her hands nervously. Carmen was debating whether or not to make the first move when Julia spoke.

“To tell you how I felt.” She took a deep breath. “I… know that you’re just recently getting your memories back, and-”

Carmen cupped Julia’s cheek, taking a moment to study her face.  _ God,  _ Julia really was beautiful. Carmen’s other hand moved to Julia’s waist. She refused to take the final step. Instead, she tilted her head, and said, “Do you mind if my lipstick leaves a mark?”

Julia wrapped her arms around Carmen’s neck and pulled.

Her lips were soft against Carmen’s. It light as a feather, as if afraid, as if the moment could slip away like a leaf in the wind. Carmen feels it too: the fear. As if she would open her eyes and see it was but a dream. 

But it wasn’t, and she lost herself in the kiss.

Carmen pulled Julia closer, leaving no space between them. Julia inhaled shakily before kissing Carmen once again. Carmen was certain that she would die happy, in that moment.

Finally, they separated. “Breathe,” Carmen whispered. She chuckled as she realized Julia’s lips were far redder than before. “I take that as a sign you like this shade?” She held up a compact mirror.

“It does look rather good on me,” Julia agreed, but she wiped it off. Carmen smiled and stole another quick kiss.

“C’mon, we have a whole hike to do,” she reminded Julia. 

  
  
  


By the time they returned to the car, the sun had crawled through the sky and was now just starting to fall beneath the horizon. “What do you think about dinner?” Carmen asked.

“We should probably head back to the hotel. Tigress has probably woken up by now,” Julia pointed out. “Then we could either order some room service or you could teach me how you cook so well.”

“True.” Carmen opened the car door for Julia, who pressed a quick kiss to her lips. Carmen couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll have to see what we can make out of what I bought.” She slid into the drivers seat, and started to drive them back. 

“Bought?” Julia repeated disbelievingly.

“I can be a law abiding citizen! I haven’t committed any crimes since lunch,” Carmen informed Julia in a very self-satisfied tone. “Oh! Except maybe… stealing your heart.” She grinned as Julia giggled.  _ What I wouldn’t do to hear that every day,  _ Carmen thought to herself. Maybe she  _ was  _ the sappy one.

(Who was she kidding?)

“Maybe I’ll finally turn you over to my life of villainy,” she teased.

“Maybe I’ll convince you to use your skills for good.” Julia slid one hand in Carmen’s and intertwined their fingers. “Then again, if your initial argument was that you haven’t committed crimes since lunch, then I already have.”

“You sly fox,” Carmen accused. “But maybe  _ I’m  _ succeeding, since you stole something from the most renowned thief the world has ever seen.” She glanced a Julia before refocusing her eyes on the road. 

“Maybe we’ll do a switch,” Julia suggested. “You become a symbol for hope, and I somehow turn evil. Isn’t that what everyone thought would happen in that one Star Wars movie? We finally convinced each other…  _ but at what cost _ ?” She finished dramatically. Carmen chuckled. 

“That’d be a pretty terrible outcome.” She kissed Julia’s hand. “How about I just join you, but convince you to run away with me?”

“Haven’t you already?” Julia asked as Carmen parked the car. They both exited, heading into their room. Carmen unlocked it, then walked over to the closet door. Tigress was in fact awake, and looked  _ severely  _ pissed.

“Should we take her to the police station?” Carmen asked, turning towards Julia and ignoring Tigress’s protesting grunts. “VILE would be alerted, but ACME should have already sent a large force of agents to their hideout, so I don’t think it’ll make much of a difference.”

“It seems to be the best idea,” Julia agreed. Tigress had fallen silent, and looked equal parts terrified and angry. “Should we take her now?”

“I’ll take her to the front desk and say that she broke into our room, but we returned in time to stop her,” Carmen decided. “You check the fridge and see what we have.” She untied Tigress from the chair and unbound her feet. She held Tigress’s arms behind her back as she undid the rest of her bindings and walked her out of the room. “I wouldn’t try anything,” she warned as Tigress paused, looking thoughtful. “I still won’t hold back, and Julia isn’t here to stop me.”

“You’ll pay for this,” Tigress hissed, but she complied. “We’ll come after you and your stupid little pet. You’ll never live in peace cause you’ll always be looking over your should to see if we’re there, and-”

“Are you done?” Carmen asked dryly.

“I told them not to get revenge on you,” Tigress muttered. “I told them that the best way to make you pay was to get your little friends, and turn  _ them  _ against you.”

“I should’ve kept the gag in,” Carmen interuptted. She pulled Tigress closer and whispered, “If you say another word, I’ll knock you out, and not with the sleeping gas.” Tigress fell silent.

She explained to the receptionist what happened, and assured her that  _ yes, they were fine, we know self defense, nothing was stolen, the room wasn’t damaged.  _ Tigress stayed joyfully quiet as the local law enforcement showed up and took her away. With that taken care of, Carmen returned to her room.

“As it turns out, we don’t have a lot of food,” Julia informed Carmen. “We do have a large quantity of chocolate, however.”

Carmen feigned innocence. “I can’t imagine how that could’ve happened,” she gasped. Julia rolled her eyes and tossed a bag of chocolate chips at Carmen. Carmen caught it with ease, and studied it. The mascot was some sort of gnome.

Carmen was seized by a sudden feeling of lightheadedness. She barely heard Julia call her name as images flashed through her head.

_ “I love chocolate!” Ivy exclaimed. _

_ “Girls trip!” _

_ “-Goldlove-” _

_ “-crush her-” _

“Carmen?” Carmen blinked several times as she opened her eyes. Based on the way Julia was holding her and the bag of chocolate chips Carmen had dropped on the floor, she had nearly fallen. “Are you alright?”

“Sure. Just… recovered a bit of a memory, is all,” she assured Julia. Her hand traced the crease in Julia’s brow and then rested next to her cheek. Julia leaned into the touch. “Nothing to worry about.” _ Just a slightly more severe reaction to memory recovery,  _ Carmen added mentally.  _ Hopefully it means nothing. _

“I hope so.” Julia steadied Carmen as she returned to her feet. “Maybe you should rest, and we should just order room service.”

Carmen wanted to disagree, but her head was pounding. “That’s probably a good idea,” she agreed. Julia led her to the bed and grabbed a glass of water and painkillers. “I’ll be fine, it’s just a headache.”

“I hate to break it to you, but you’re not very convincing,” Julia said dryly. She picked up the menu for room service. “I’m very glad they have these in English.”

“This town  _ is  _ a very popular tourist attraction,” Carmen pointed out, downing the water and painkiller. “I’m not surprised.” She pointed to a dish that looked more stereotypically British than Scottish. “I’ll take that. Fish and chips, eh?”

“How many more stereotypically British things are you going to tease me about?” Julia huffed.

“All of them, probably,” Carmen grinned. “In honor of that…. favorite famous British author?”

“Jane Austen,” Julia said decisively. “You?”

“George Orwell. I think I read another one of his books - or reread it - to help Player.” She shrugged. “Guess I’ll remember soon. How many hours left until Zack, Ivy, and Shadowsan get here?”

Julia checked the clock and did some quick math. “If everything’s on schedule… they’ll get here at about midnight, so six hours. On that note, I’ll order some food.” She kissed Carmen on the forehead before walking to the phone.

Six hours. Six hours until Carmen would see people she knew deep in her heart that she cared about,  _ loved,  _ once more. People that she had… tried to kill. Would’ve killed.

_ That wasn’t me,  _ Carmen told herself. Everyone had forgiven her. She just needed to forgive herself. It seemed easy enough.

Julia sat on the bed next to her. “Why  _ did  _ you get only one bed?” She asked after a second.

Carmen shrugged. “It was cheaper, and when I came in carrying you, the receptionist assumed we were here on a honeymoon. She suggested a room to get, and I agreed.” Julia shook her head, smiling. At the mention of ‘cheaper’, Carmen’s eyes slid over to her coat. There was a small bag in there that she packed, to give to Jules in case of an emergency.

“I thought for  _ sure  _ it was to bother me,” Julia mused.

“That  _ was  _ a fun bonus.” Julia shoved her lightly, but Carmen pulled her in for a kiss.

She wished this moment could last forever. Her, holding Julia in her arms, completely alone in the world.

But moments could never last forever, and they were interupted by a loud knock on the door. It was followed by a voice that sent chillls down her spine.

“Time to come home, Lambkins,” Coach Brunt called from outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said “will it last??” last time but I couldn’t help writing some fluff for the two. NOW it’s getting a little more dramatic.  
> And yayy!! They finally got together!! It only took a little over a quarter of the fic!!  
> ngl in my original plan they got together in like chapter three but then I redid the storyline a little so they established a nice friendship first.  
> (With Carmen aggressively flirting the whole time, but still)


	6. Declawed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julia leaves Carmen in their hotel room, and runs into some trouble as she wanders the streets of Jedburgh.

Carmen’s eyes widened as she heard the voice. She took a moment to think, then turned to Julia.

“Jules, listen very closely,” Carmen instructed, her voice low. She lunged from bed, grabbing her signiture red cloak and draping it around Julia’s shoulders. “Pressing this will activate the paraglider, and this pocket contains a bag with everything you’ll need. There’s assorted weapons in here, and the grappling hook is in here-”

The knocking grew louder, and Julia couldn’t think, and she couldn’t focus on Carmen’s words, and  _ god they were going to die weren’t they. _

Carmen rushed Julia to the patio door. Their hotel room was on the second story, overlooking a steep drop with two chairs outside. Carmen flung the door open and shoved Julia outside.

“Carmen-” Julia protested. 

“It’ll be okay, Jules. Trust me.” Carmen’s calming words were betrayed by the panic in her eyes. “Lay low. I’ll get her to leave, do something. You… get out of here. Now. I…” she swallowed her last words. “Be careful.”

She slammed the door shut, and it locked with a click.

_ Which button did she say triggers the paraglider?  _ Julia’s mind spun. She climbed up on one of the chairs, overlooking the drop.  _ I’m probably going to die. But if I stay here, Carmen and I will  _ **_definitely_ ** _ die. _

Julia pushed her fears down, and lept over the edge.

It took Julia a few moments of free falling before she managed to activate the paraglider. It caught on the wind, and she was suddenly lurched forward.  _ How does Carmen steer this thing so well?  _ she wondered. Luckily, she managed to land  _ somewhat  _ gracefully. She appeared to be in a small park of sorts, barely illuminated by the street lamps.

“Calm down,” Julia told herself. “You’re just in a strange city, in a country where you do not speak the native language, while it’s dark, while your maybe-girlfriend faces an international supervillain. That didn’t help my worries at all.”

Her stomach growled.  _ I should at least get something to eat… and probably call Devineaux.  _ No use worrying herself on things that she couldn’t control… but she  _ was  _ worried.

The voice she heard had to be VILE. Calling Carmen  _ Lambkins  _ suggested that this was an older figure, possibly someone who raised Carmen from a young age. Yes, okay, that made sense. That meant… the voice belonged to VILE faculty.

_ But we just sent agents there!  _ Unless, of course, the VILE faculty had left before the base was attacked. In that case, she might not be suspicious of Carmen yet. Could she have possibly come here after Tigress was arrested? No, that didn’t make sense either - Tigress had  _ just  _ been brought into custody.

The most reasonable conclusion was that VILE had somehow located Carmen, wondered why she hadn’t contacted them, and sent someone to check it out. That meant, if she played her cards right, Carmen could be safe. She would be safe. Right? She had to be. Julia’s conclusion made perfect sense.

She just had to wait, and hope Carmen would find her. She just had to wait, and hope things cooled down.

She patted the pocket Carmen had told had a bag with everything she needed. Her hand retreated into the bag and touched…  _ money.  _ And a lot of it, by the stack. At least she was well off.

Julia made her way to a pay phone nearby, putting several coins in before dialing Devineaux. He had called her so many times with news of  _ la femme rougue’s latest endeavor!  _ She had never saved his number, so saw it appear every time.

She supposed that was the best thing that could’ve come from her pettiness.

_ “Agent Devineaux speaking.”  _ Devineaux’s accent was unmistakeable, and Julia had missed it.

“Hello, Agent Devineaux,” Julia greeted. There was a scramble on the other line and stream of French cursing Julia unfortunatley understood.

_ “Ms. Argent! You are safe! The small boy told me you were alright, but he said you were with la femme rogue,”  _ Devineaux said in a rush. There was a breif pause.  _ “Are you alright?” _

“I’m fine,” she agreed. “It’s good to talk to you again. I need you to relay some information to Chief.”

_ “Of course!”  _ There was a pause, and then Devineaux said,  _ “Chief! I am on the phone with Ms. Argent!” _

_ “Agent Argent?”  _ Chief asked.  _ “What happened? A young man named Player informed me that you were safe with Carmen - and, of course, we received intel on VILE’s base. You’ll be pleased to hear that we managed to shut it down.” _

“Right. It’s a long story.” Julia took a deep breath. “A member of VILE faculty showed up. I don’t think she knows Carmen betrayed them, but…” she sighed. “I’m in Jedburgh, Scotland. There are two VILE members active in the city. One we took into police custody, and the other is with Carmen.”

_ “I’m not sure we’ll be able to help much. It took a lot out of ACME to take down VILE,”  _ Chief admitted.  _ “A couple got away. As it turns out, they have escape routes we didn’t know about. And a lot of good agents got hurt.”  _ There was a pause, and Julia could practically imagine Devineaux’s furious look, and Chief’s sigh.  _ “I’ll send enough help to get the two VILE agents in custody.” _

“Thank you.”  _ So it’s a gamble on whether the VILE agent knows Carmen betrayed them… or maybe they just think ACME found out?  _ Pinpricks ran across the back of Julia’s neck, interrupting her thoughts.  _ I’m being watched.  _ “I have to go. Thank you - both of you.”

_“Ms. Arg-”_ _click._

Julia quickly left the telephone booth. She had to get inside, to a brightly lit place. Her eyes settled on a convinience store. Good enough.

She sped walked towards it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure lurking in the dark. Chills ran down her spine, and she walked faster until she was safely inside the building, panting.

The clerk looked up at her, confused. They shrugged and went back to reading a magazine. Julia walked to the back of the store, listening carefully for the little bell that would alert her of another customer. She waited, but still - nothing.

She exhaled in relief.  _ Think. Think. I want to check in on Carmen, but if a VILE operative saw me they would no doubt figure out that Carmen was working with me…. or they’d kill me.  _ Not pleasant choices. She checked her watch. It was about seven now. Five hours until Carmen’s team arrived. They would be able to handle it, right?

Julia had never felt so helpless. She knew Carmen could be in danger - even knew Carmen wasn’t at full strength. Her most recent memory recovery made her pass out for a few seconds, so she couldn’t imagine what the headache was like.

Julia grabbed some snacks and a drink. She almost wished this  _ was  _ America, so she could just find a Walmart and get some knives. But this was Scotland, and she barely spoke the language. What was something she could just to her advantage if she got attacked? She settled for what she assumed was hot sauce, and brought her stuff up to the counter.

Of course, she  _ had  _ the weapons Carmen had socked away in her coat, but she also didn’t know how they worked. She’d have to look at them later.

The clerk tried to speak to her, but… “I don’t speak Scottish,” she said with a smile. The clerk nodded, seeming to understand, and kept quiet. They scanned all the items, and Julia paid before leaving.

_ Think, think, think.  _ Julia needed someplace to lay low for while. She could try to get a room at another hotel, but it  _ was  _ a popular tourist place. Actually, now that she thought about it, Carmen had probably done something to secure herself a room.

She supposed sometimes crime really was the most effective way to do things.

She sat just outside the convinience store, keeping her eyes peeled as she ate her snacks and drank the soda she had got. The suspicious figure had disappeared, so she was safe. While she ate, she looked through the pockets of Carmen’s coat. She identified a taser, and found several more zip ties. That could be useful.

Finally, she stood, and went to throw her trash away inside the store. When she entered, she looked over at the clerk to wave, but the clerk was gone. A bathroom break?

No.  _ No,  _ she had to get out of here, right now,  _ right now.  _ Julia turned back towards the exit and reached for the door handle, but someone grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

“Well well well,” a voice sneered. “If it isn’t Carmen’s little pet.” 

Julia’s blood froze. She turned to see Tigress, who had apparently escaped from the police, and did  _ not  _ look happy. “What, you didn’t think they could keep me, did you?” Tigress’s grip turned harsh around Julia’s arm. “Where is Carmen?”

_ Think. What kind of fighter is Tigress? She typically goes for direct attacks, relying on her claws to inflict damage. She relies on speed rather than strength. Without her claws, she would most likely turn to fists… or knives.  _ There wasn’t a large abundance of those, so at least there was that.

“Answer me!” Tigress roared, snapping. Julia knew she couldn’t get away. What was something she had to her advantage? Tigress didn’t know much about her, and  _ definitely  _ wasn’t on the bright side. Could Julia trick her? Not likely: Tigress wanted revenge, and would just attack.

_ Think, think, think! _

“She’s gone,” Julia lied. “Remembered what I did to her, and left me behind. I’m nothing to her now.” That seemed plausible enough, because it was something Julia was genuinely worried would happen. Well, had been, at least. Stockholm was one of Julia’s biggest regrets.

Tigress studied Julia’s face. “It doesn’t matter,” she said after a moment, grinning. “Because I told them from the beginning that _you’re_ the one we have to hurt to get to Carmen. Suppose I can make good on that.” Julia’s eyes widened. She was at a disadvantage: Tigress was better trained, and Julia didn’t have contacts. If she lost her glasses, it was practically game over.

“ _ Fuck off _ ,” Julia hissed, stomping on Tigress’s foot as hard as she could. Tigress yelped and let go, allowing Julia to toss her trash at Tigress then unscrew the bottle of hot sauce. 

As soon as Tigress opened her eyes, Julia tossed the hot sauce directly at her face.

“ _ Ow! _ ” Tigress yelled. “You’ll pay for that!” She lunged, grabbing Julia’s wrists and pinning her to the floor. Julia curled her feet in and tried to kick at Tigress’s gut. She didn’t quiet get it. Instead, her foot landed on Tigress’s leg.

Tigress tried to seize the bottle of hot sauce, but Julia tossed it away. Tigress growled and settled for punching Julia directly in the jaw.

Her glasses flew off her face, and it  _ hurt like hell _ .  _ Oh no.  _ It was exactly as Julia had feared. Still, she had to fight. She headbutted Tigress, using the brief distraction to escape from underneath her.

Tigress wasn’t distracted for long, and used the opportunity to attack. She swung her fists, but maintained distance. Typically she would have her claws, and be able to maintain more distance while still fighting, so this wasn’t exactly a style Tigress was used to. Still, Julia had finally figured out Tigress’s fighting style: she was behaving a lot like an out-boxer.

_ Think!  _ Julia  _ had  _ been trained by ACME. What was the weakness of an out-boxer type fighter?  _ Quick on their feet, but low power blows. That’s never been a problem for her before because she had her claws.  _ Though she fought like one, Tigress lacked the true skill of an out-boxer. She attacked several more times, keeping Julia on the defensive and landed a couple more hits.  _ Think!  _ Her stamina was far lower than out-boxers, and she lacked the footwork. That wasn’t much of a bonus for Julia, because her stamina wasn’t great either.

_ Body blows!  _ If Julia could land massive damage body blow, she could shoot down Tigress’s rhythm, making her an easier target for Julia to hit her with the taser. Julia’s eyes turned to the rows upon rows of snacks and candy.  _ I hope this works,  _ she thought grimly. She couldn’t take much more of Tigress’s attacks.

She dodged down an aisle, barely avoiding another blow. Tigress chased after her, so Julia knocked over some snacks. Luckily, Tigress’s foot landed on one and she slipped, allowing Julia to round the corner and overturn the shelf.

Tigress’s grunt of pain told Julia she succeeded. She got out the taser, waiting until Tigress had pulled herself out from under it to press it directly against her back. Tigress screamed, but Julia kept it there for several more seconds. Finally, she let go, and Tigress slumped to the floor, unable to move.

Julia used the opportunity to bind her hands and feet. She appeared to have been knocked out from a head injury she got from falling. Julia took several shaky breaths. “I did it,” she murmured. She felt  _ exhausted.  _ Tigress had almost completely worn her out, but at least she was alive.

Julia pulled Tigress over to the counter, next to where the clerk was passed out. She supposed that was the most she could do for now. Grabbing her glasses, she left the building.

Somehow the streets weren’t as scary now. Well, they  _ were _ , because it was dark and she was in a foreign country at night, but it wasn’t as bad as before. Should she go find Carmen now?

_ Probably not,  _ Julia decided. It’d be safer for her to find a place to kill time. It was  _ cold  _ out, but at least she had Carmen’s jacket.

Eventually she wandered into a library. The aisles were endless, and most of the books in a language she didn’t understand. Still, it was something to do. Something to use to keep her mind off of Carmen. Something to help calm her nerves.

_ Breathe in, breathe out. Don’t think of how Carmen looked in Stockholm. _

_ Breathe in, breathe out. Don’t think of what happened in Egypt. _

_ Breathe in, breathe out. _

_ Don’t think of what could be happening to Carmen. _

_ Don’t think of her, bleeding out- _

_ Don’t- _

“Breathe, Julia,” she instructed herself, leaning against a shelf. It took several minutes of deep breathing before she managed to calm herself. She needed to remain clear headed, even if she was sore and bruised, even if she hurt.

She had to, because she knew Carmen had been hurt for her many times over.

She stayed in the library, wandering around, until it closed. Was she safe to return now? Was Carmen okay? Oh god, what if she was there right now, what if she was hurt?

But what if Julia ruined everything by showing up?

No. She knew she had to return to the hotel. The VILE operative had probably left by now, and Carmen was waiting, and everything would be fine. She tried to convince herself of this the whole way over, even as she stopped in front of the hotel.

The car was gone.

_ They probably left in it. That means they’re gone already, meaning Carmen will come back for me when she can.  _ There, good. It made sense. She could go inside.

Still, she hesitated. What if the VILE operative was there, waiting for her? What if they’d killed Carmen already, what if they were  _ waiting to kill her too- _

Julia silenced her thoughts by stepping inside. She slowly made her way to their room, ignoring her pounding heart. She would be fine. Everything would be fine. 

But when she stood outside the room, the door was open. Julia peeked inside, looking around. Her eyes stopped as they fell on Carmen.

Carmen, who wheezed and looked weak. Carmen, who’s lips cracked into the smallest of smiles as she saw Julia. Carmen, who murmured, “Hey, Jules,” before her eyes shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Hey, Jules”  
> Tada, a quick update after that cliffhanger!  
> Tada, an even worse cliffhanger!!  
> Thank you guys for the support:) you’re the best!!


	7. Broken glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmen tries to convince Coach Brunt that everything is fine. She doesn’t succeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy y’all!! Your support has been AMAZING and you guys are the BEST<3  
> Small side note about this chapter: there’s a scene that’s a little more violent than the rest of this fic has been, but it’s not super graphic. Reach out to others if you need it, and stay safe!<3

Carmen opened the door. Coach Brunt was standing outside, and didn’t look…  _ pleased _ . She didn’t look murderous, however, which was a plus.

“Hey coach,” Carmen greeted. “What brings you here?”

“I could ask you the same,” Coach Brunt pointed out. She stepped inside, looking around the apartment. “We tracked that little plane you stole, and eventually figured that you were here.” She sat down at the table, silently waiting for an explanation.

“I needed time to process,” Carmen explained. Not exactly a lie. Carmen knew she’d have to tread carefully, figure out what Coach Brunt knew. She sat down at the table before continuing. “You heard what happened with the bluecoats, didn’t you?”

“I heard that your friend Crackle was a sellout,” Coach Brunt growled. She pounded her fist into the table, then her expression softened. “I’m sorry, little Lambkins. I know you two were close.” She placed a hand over Carmen’s. Carmen stared at it, her headache worsening. “Do you need a hug from mama bear?”

_ “Come give mama bear one last great big hug goodbye.” _

Carmen’s headache flared, and it took everything she had not to double over. “I’m fine,” she said sharply, then backpedaled. “I’m not sad about it. I’m waiting for the day I can get my revenge.”

“I’m so proud of you, Carmen,” Coach Brunt told her. Carmen’s chest tightened. “You’ve grown up so fast, and you’re the best thief VILE has ever seen. If you want revenge on Crackle, we’ll help you get it.” Carmen swallowed. Her head pounded dully, and hearing Coach Brunt’s words only hurt her more. She needed to channel who she had been before Julia. What would that Carmen have said?

“I don’t need help getting my revenge,” Carmen spat. “I’ll track him down and get it myself.”

“Speaking of tracking down… you haven’t happened to see Tigress around, have ya? She ran off as soon as we figured out your location, talkin’ about trying to find you.” Coach Brunt sighed. “The faculty and I talked it over, and then I left to find you and tell you to come on home.” She tapped her fingers restlessly on the table. Carmen narrowed her eyes.

“What, you guys don’t trust me do be on my own?” Carmen accused. “Tigress hadn’t managed to find me yet, I suppose. Someone probably mistook her for a street cat.” She crossed her arms. “I’ll head back to VILE soon, anyway. I just wanted to do some sightseeing here, maybe take a couple sights with me.”

“Right.” Coach Brunt looked hesitant. “You went offline is all. Actually, everyone else has been offline for a while too.” She pulled a device out of her pocket and frowned at it. “Anyway, I brought one for you.” She set it on the table, and her voice grew stern. “You know the rules.”

“Of course I do,” Carmen said dryly, rolling her eyes. She had to get out of here. She had to somehow convince Coach Brunt to leave. “I have a plan here, you know. Gonna steal some mementos from Jedburgh castle jail. Mementos that were once painted in red.” That should convince Brunt to go, shouldn’t it?

“Have fun. I’ll probably look for Tigress. See if that alleycat got herself in trouble of any sort.” Coach Brunt stood.  _ If she finds Tigress, this whole thing will fall apart.  _

“Let me. I could use some more time with a good friend. One who didn’t betray me.” Carmen growled the last part, and Coach Brunt looks sympathetic. It fills Carmen with disgust.

“It’s funny how it’s always the ones closest to us that betray us,” Coach Brunt said sadly. She patted Carmen’s head gently, and it took Carmen everything she had not to shove her arm away. “You’ve always been like a daughter to me. When you told me that VILE was your family…” she trailed off. “You turned out perfect.”

_ I’m not your doll,  _ Carmen wanted to yell.  _ I’m not your weapon!  _ But she smiled sweetly, hoping that Coach Brunt would leave so that she could find Julia.

A knock on the door interupted them. Carmen swallowed, and went to get it. Fortunately, it wasn’t Julia: just room service. They held out the two dishes, and Carmen took them both.

“Two dishes?” Coach Brunt asked.

“I was feeling extra hungry,” Carmen shrugged, but Coach Brunt began looking around the apartment more. Her eyes narrowed at the two indents in the bed, and she started looking around.

“Is there something you’re not tellin’ me?” Coach Brunt’s voice was low, dangerous.  _ Fuck.  _ Coach Brunt stood, towering over Carmen.  _ I don’t have my coat, my weapons. I have to get out of here, and warn Jules.  _ She glanced from side to side. Her two exits were the door and the porch. Coach Brunt would have the advantage in the hallway. The best option was the porch.

The question was, was it safety glass, or tempered glass? If it was safety glass, she would be far safer. That was the kind in car windows, the kind that broke into tiny tiny pieces. Tempered glass could kill.  _ Would  _ kill.

Carmen sprinted, shielding her exposed skin, and bashed into the door.

It was  _ not _ safety glass.

She could hear Coach Brunt behind her and leapt into the air, grabbing the porch from the hotel room above theirs. Just before she could escape, Brunt grabbed her leg and yanked her down.

Carmen’s head was spinning, her arms ached, and the wound on her back had only worsened. Brunt yanked her back, and threw her to the ground. Carmen gasped in pain.

“Who is it?” Brunt demanded. She looked almost saddened.  _ You don’t deserve to feel bad about this!  _ Carmen wanted to scream.  _ You’re not my mother and you never were!  _ “You were so perfect, but then Crackle betrayed us. You’re a good liar, I’ll give you that.” She lifted Carmen with one hand around her neck. “So who’s hiding out in this city? Who are you protecting?”

_ I love you, Jules. You’ve taken care of me, stopped me from doing things I regret… and I’m sorry. I’ll try to make it out of this alive, but… I’ll kill her, and get myself killed, in order to keep you safe. _

“You know what, coach?” Carmen wheezed. She held a particularly nasty shard of glass in her hand. “You guys did me a favor. Now… I actually have the guts to kill you.”

She stabbed Coach Brunt with the shard. Brunt screamed in pain, dropping Carmen. She fell, took several deep breaths, and lept from the porch.

The porch of the hotel room below her slowed her fall, but in the worst way possible. It smacked into her shoulder, most likely dislocating it as she fell.  _ Shit. This isn’t good,  _ Carmen thought to herself. She managed to avoid hitting her head as she fell, but it was still painful. Her painkillers were weak against what she had faced, and her headache just kept getting worse. What was the best option? She had to lure Coach Brunt out of this city, get her as far away from Jules as possible. What could she do?

An idea sprung to mind. It was dangerous. Almost certainly would kill her. But it was worth a shot.

Carmen made her way to the front of the hotel. She was in bad shape already, but at least she could still move. She knew Brunt would be looking for her, probably going to arrive any second. With a little bit of luck, she managed to get into the car before Brunt spotted her.

Carmen threw the car into drive and stomped on acceleration, headed straight for Coach Brunt. Brunt managed to dodge, but barely. Carmen saw her get onto a motorcycle and begin to give chase.

This was fine. Everything would be fine.

A couple turns, and they were on the street that led out of Jedburgh. Carmen lowered the speed and hit cruise, allowing the car to continue driving while she left it. Either the car would inevitably crash, hopefully incapacitating Brunt… or Carmen was going to die. She turned off all of the lights, hoping the cover of darkness was enough. With a click, she rolled down the window, and lept out.

Not one of her brightest ideas.

The impact was  _ painful _ , and jarringly so. She rolled into the ditch, her whole body aching. She felt tired, but she had to get out of here.

First, to assess her wounds. The one on her back was the worst, having reopened. She should deal with that first. Second would probably be the dislocated shoulder. Of course. She could do it herself, right here, right now.

Her shoulder popped back in with a stream of curses. Carmen took a minute to catch her breath.  _ I have to get back to Julia. What’s the best way to do that?  _ Shakily, she got to her feet, and began limping back to the hotel.  _ Julia’s smart, but worries. She’ll probably avoid the hotel for a couple hours, then hesitantly come back to check things out. She’ll see that the car is gone, and probably go inside.  _ So all Carmen had to do was get back inside and try to stay conscious. Her headache had dulled, but it hadn’t disappeared.

“You’re alive,” Carmen muttered to herself. “You’re alive, so you better stay alive.” She slowly began to make her way back. “You’re alive. You’re barefoot, about a mile… two miles? Two miles from your hotel. You can make it.”

She took off her shirt and made a makeshift bandage around her back. She ripped it several more times to create smaller bandages around her arms, which had faced the worst of the glass.  _ Focus, Carmen. Get back to the hotel. Get back to the hotel. Quit repeating yourself.  _

How long would it take Brunt to realize the car was empty? Despite the fact that this was a relatively straight road, the car would crash eventually, hopefully taking Coach Brunt out with it. She had been pretty badly injured. If she couldn’t find a way to stop the bleeding she would die. Like Carmen, she was most likely running on adrenaline.

When she made it back to civilization, Carmen made a brief stop at a store to gather some supplies. The cover of darkness hid her pretty well, allowing her to steal some medical supplies and a coat to allow her to enter the hotel while avoiding suspicion.

The clerk didn’t give her a second thought as she made her way back to her room. Carmen stumbled inside. Her energy had long faded, and now that she had reached safety, she began to crash.  _ It’s fine. I’ve addressed the worst of the wounds.  _ She laid down on the bed and tried to steady her breathing.  _ Focus. Focus. Focus.  _ She had already stopped most of the bleeding. Her eyes settled on the clock. It had taken her a lot longer to get back than she thought.  _ Breathe, Carmen,  _ she reminded herself. She couldn’t fall asleep. She just couldn’t. She wasn’t safe yet. She didn’t know if Julia was safe, didn’t even know if Julia was coming to save her.

She made a silent promise.

_ I’ll be good. I’ll try harder to become who I once was.  _ It was getting harder for her to focus. Memories began flashing in her head: freezing, alone, in the woods. Thrown into walls, nearly killed. She had done this all before.  _ I’ll tell everyone how much I love them. I’ll right the wrongs I’ve committed. I’ll become Carmen Sandiego once more, and not just this shadow of a person. _

_ I tried to kill Coach Brunt.  _ That thought still haunted her mind, but she didn’t regret it.  _ I don’t have my empathy all the way back. I know that. I know that I’ve lost most of my morals. _

_ But please, don’t let me die before I can try and make up for it. _

The door creaked open, and Julia’s head peeked out. Carmen smiled, a tired smile. “Hey, Jules,” she murmured. Julia was here. Julia could take care of her. Carmen was safe now. 

She closed her eyes. Julia rushed over to her, her voice high and panicky. “Carmen? Carmen… Carmen?!” Carmen opened her eyes again. “Stay awake, Carmen. I’m here. It’s okay.”

“I know,” Carmen whispered. She had to believe everything would be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Carmen’s alive!!! That’s always good news. Don’t worry guys I’ll write lots of Julethief fluff to make up for it. And don’t worry, that’s the most violent that this fic is gonna get.


	8. Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julia tends to Carmen’s wounds until Team Red arrives. They have a duplicate of the device that brought back Carmen’s memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was WAY longer than I originally planned. Finally got that halfway point done!! Hope y’all enjoy and thank you so much for the support<3

Julia forced herself to remain calm as Carmen reached a hand up, pausing before she reached Julia’s face. Carmen frowned. “You’re hurt.”

“Carmen-” Julia’s voice broke. “We have to get you to a hospital.” She took Carmen’s hand in hers, tears in her eyes.  _ Fuck. She’ll be okay. She has to be okay. _

Carmen sat up slowly. Julia supported her into an upright position, but her hands were hesitant. Careful not to brush against a cut, but there were so many. “No hospitals,” Carmen croaked. She cleared her throat, leaning heavily into Julia’s arms, and tried again. “No hospitals. VILE knows I’m here. I managed to send Brunt away, but she’ll be back.” She swallowed. “Some of them escaped. I should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Julia soothed, stroking Carmen’s hair out of her face. “Carmen, we really have to get you to a hospital.”

“No hospitals,” she repeated. “They’ll come for me there, attack me and everyone else while I’m down. We can leave when Ivy, Zack, and Shadowsan get here.” Julia bit her lip. Carmen was right, of course, but she was also in bad shape. It didn’t help that Julia was still exhausted and injured from her fight with Tigress. 

“Okay,” Julia relented. “But you have to let me treat the worst of your wounds.” She eased herself out of the bed, and helped Carmen get to a chair. She winced as she took in the broken sliding door. The glass littering the ground of the porch glistened with blood. Julia pulled a curtain over it, fighting the bile rising in her throat.

“I got some more supplies,” Carmen murmured. She pointed to a bag near the door. Julia grabbed it, along with the materials she had used on Carmen earlier. 

_ Earlier.  _

It was strange to think that all of this happened in only the span of a day. No wonder she felt so tired. “The worst is the one on my back,” Carmen said, interrupting Julia’s thoughts. Julia stood, untying the bandage, and set to work.

For her part, Carmen barely even winced as Julia removed several pieces of glass with tweezers. Julia forced herself to be calm, reminding herself that this was about Carmen. That Carmen needed her. 

Once most of the glass was gone, Julia began to bandage it. “Thank you, Jules,” Carmen murmured. She looked better now that Julia had cleaned up most of the blood, but her arms were still littered with scrapes and cuts. Julia wrapped the bandage around her multiple times, biting her lip with every layer. 

“What happened?” She asked at last. The question she hadn’t wanted to ask. The question that had hung between them the whole time. She finished the bandage and moved to the front of Carmen, examining her arms. 

“Coach Brunt came,” Carmen exhaled. Her voice was shaky. “A member of VILE faculty. Practically raised me. She figured out that something was wrong, so I tried to book it.” Her eyes landed on the curtain covering the broken sliding door. “It didn’t work.” Julia paid close attention to every word, every hiss of pain as she removed some of the glass from Carmen’s arms.

“I tried to kill her.” Julia jerked her head. Carmen was staring blankly at nothing. “She attacked me. Told me she’d find who I was protecting - who was hiding in the city.” She chuckled dryly. “I would’ve killed her. I don’t think she’s dead, but I stabbed a vein.” Her eyes turned imploringly to Julia, almost begging. “I… who I was wouldn’t have done that, would I?”

Julia had no answer. Not a fast enough one, anyway. Or maybe… Carmen wasn’t looking for one.

“I thought she would hurt you. I thought she would hurt all of you,” Carmen whispered. Her eyes looked lost, wandering around the floor with no apparent destination. “I remembered some things. She tried to kill me in the past, tried to kill Shadowsan… I think…” her voice faltered. “I… I would’ve killed Gray, too. Or you. I tried to kill Zack.”

“That wasn’t you,” Julia said softly. She placed a hand on Carmen’s knee. “That wasn’t you.”

“I know… I know it wasn’t. But trying to kill Coach Brunt  _ was  _ me.” Carmen stared at her hands. “I would do it again. But she’s a terrible person, and she hurt me, and she was going to hurt you. I just knew she was.” Carmen swallowed. “Does that… I…”

Julia finished bandaging one of Carmen’s arms, and raised Carmen’s hand to her lips. She pressed a kiss to it. “When I first heard of you, all I ever heard was how ‘evil’ you were.” She chuckled at the memory. “Even back then, I had my doubts to whether you were actually bad. And then…” She looked up into Carmen’s eyes, her hand cradling Carmen’s chin. “Then I ran into you, on the train. And you were sweet, and polite, and I almost asked for your number. It was only  _ after  _ you had scurried off that I realized… you were the one and only Carmen Sandiego.

“And for a long time after that, people tried to convince me that you weren’t on the side of good. They told me you were a thief, that you stole artifacts, that you broke laws. And not once -  _ not once _ \- did I ever believe them.” Julia stroked Carmen’s cheek gently. “You may not be yourself, but you’re not a bad person, Carmen. I’ve never believed that, and I’m not going to start now. If anything, you’re... morally grey.” She glanced down at Carmen’s coat, that she still hadn’t taken off. “Or… morally red, I suppose.” The joke did not go over Carmen’s head, and she cracked a small smile. A smile Julia wanted to see for the rest of her life. 

“I love you,” Carmen blurted. Julia blinked several times in fast succession. “You don’t have to say anything back. But when I… I promised myself that I would be better. That I would give to the world everything that I took from it. And that I would tell you how I feel, even if you don’t-”

“I love you too.” Julia hadn’t expected herself to say the words. Hadn’t expected them to ring throughout the hotel, to silence Carmen’s worries, to make Carmen’s eyes widen. Julia shuffled, squeezing the tweezers tight in her grip. Her eyes wouldn’t leave the floor.

Carmen’s touch was feather light as her fingers tilted Julia’s head Towards her. Julia’s breath caught in her throat, and her eyes fluttered shut. She leaned forward, feeling Carmen’s hand wrap around the back of her neck.

They had kissed before, but not like this... as cliche as that was. This was slow, this was certain, this was mending their broken hearts. When they finally separated, Julia could hardly breathe, could hardly  _ think. _

Carmen rested her head on Julia’s shoulder, breathing slowly. Julia ran a hand through her hair soothingly. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Carmen finally sat up straight, offering Julia a soft - almost  _ heartbreaking -  _ smile.

“I suppose I should let you get glass from my other arm,” Carmen chuckled. She winced as she examined it closer. “At least it’s not as bad as it could’ve been.”

“Because it could’ve been you dying.” Julia wished she could bite back her words. They held the grief that had nearly come to past, the mourning of a lover. But Carmen was safe, and they were together. She swallowed, pulling a particularly nasty chunk of glass out. “What… what happened afterwards?” Her gaze settled on the porch. “You jumped, didn’t you.” It wasn’t a question, but Carmen still answered it.

“I did.” She cleared her throat. “There was no other way. She knew you were in the city, and she was going to search until she found you.” Carmen had to stop, her voice getting thick. Julia heard every unspoken word, every worry she didn’t voice. Carmen took a deep breath, and at Julia’s reassuring smile, continued. “I made sure I was out of the city, on a relatively straight road. Pressed cruise…” her voice shook, and she had to stop again. “Jumped from the car, and made my way back.” 

Julia looked away. She knew when she first fell for Carmen that the thief would go any length, fight any battle, to make sure those she cared for were okay. She understood why Carmen couldn’t have just fled.

She knew the self-sacrifice that summed up Carmen, and… it made her ache. Especially before she had been corrupted, Carmen had been the one to make every dangerous leap. Had fought every villain. Had rescued Devineaux, all that time ago. A man who had been trying to arrest her since day one. Carmen didn’t know the meaning of selfish. Even when she wasn’t herself, she had put Julia over her own safety.

“It goes without saying, but… I’m glad you’re alive,” Julia said at last, beginning to bandage Carmen’s arm. Carmen smiled with tired eyes, and exhaled a sigh of relief as Julia finished.

“I am too,” Carmen murmured. Julia sat at the table across from Carmen, who nodded at her arms. They had a few spots of blood, and were far more crumpled than they should’ve been. Julia almost winced just by looking at them. Her arms had taken the brunt of Tigress’s attacks. “What happened to you? While I was… dealing with Brunt?”

Julia didn’t say anything at first. She didn’t know how Carmen would react, but she deserved the truth. She fiddled with her sleeves. Much of the damage she had received had simply been bruises, but they spotted her arms and much of her torso. Finally, she pulled at the cuff of her sleeves, and revealed a small portion of the bruises. 

Carmen’s hand reached out, hesitant. It curled in on itself just before touching her. “Who did this to you?”

“Carmen-”

_ “Who did this?” _

Julia swallowed, and Carmen softened. “Please. Show me.”

Julia unbuttoned her button-up, leaving her in just a tank top. The bruises hadn’t quite formed yet; most were just red blotches. Still, someone as experienced in combat as Carmen would recognize the damage.

“You…” Carmen’s touch was gentle. Barely caressing Julia’s skin as she examined the bruises. “Who did this?”

“Carmen.” Julia took her hand. “I’m not going to tell you until you promise me you won’t run off to make whoever did it pay.” Carmen gave her a dirty look, but Julia could read in between the lines. “I know you would.”

_ “No one  _ is allowed to hurt you.” Carmen averted her eyes, and finally sighed. “I promise.”

The corner of Julia’s mouth twitched. She knew Carmen’s reaction would still be bad, but at least it wouldn’t be terrible. “Tigress… escaped. And found me. She didn’t have her claws, so it wasn’t that… bad…” she trailed off as Carmen’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “It’s mostly just bruises.” Carmen looked down, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “Carmen, it’s okay. I’m okay,” Julia promised. “You… you don’t have to protect me.”

“Yes,” Carmen replied curtly. “I  _ do. _ Because it’s  _ my _ mistakes that got us here. It’s  _ my  _ actions that got us in this whole mess. _ My  _ carelessness that got you kidnapped in Egypt.”

“And it was  _ you  _ who saved me then,” Julia argued desperately. She had to make Carmen  _ see _ . See that Julia had no regrets. “I’ve made my own choices, and I… I chose  _ you.  _ I  _ choose  _ you.” She rolled her sleeves back down, fidgeting. “You can’t blame yourself for this.”

_ Don’t blame yourself,  _ Julia wanted to say.  _ Don’t lose yourself in guilt. _

_ Let me save you. Let me save you from what VILE did. Let me help you. _

Carmen leaned back in the chair. She looked battered, bandages all up her arms and around her chest and back. There was a scratch on her cheekbone, most likely from a shard of glass. It could’ve hit her eye. Julia took a deep breath. “I’m worried about you getting hurt, when you’ve already given so much. And you’re… worried about me getting hurt. But we’re in this  _ together, _ okay?”

There was a long pause, and finally, Carmen whispered, “Okay.” Julia exhaled as Carmen laced their fingers together. Today had been quite the emotional roller coaster, and Julia felt exhausted. “I should get changed into pajamas. The team will arrive in an hour or two, but frankly, I’m  _ really  _ tired.”

Julia chuckled. “I am too.” While Carmen got changed in the bathroom, she switched her jeans for sweatpants in the main room. Carmen emerged and turned off the lights before joining Julia in their bed.

Carmen pulled Julia close, cradling her. “Today has sure been something, huh,” she murmured. Julia chuckled, squeezing a little bit tighter.

“At least we have right now,” she offered. “I don’t think it could get much better than this.”

If Julia were a little bit less tired, she might have thought through the idea that Carmen’s crew was going to arrive relatively soon. She might have considered that they would walk in to see her, sleeping with Carmen, and get relatively worried.

But Julia  _ was  _ very tired, and Carmen was very warm, and somehow she convinced herself it wasn’t as bad as she thought it’d be.

  
  


It wasn’t as bad as she thought it’d be.

It was  _ worse. _

The lights of the room pulled Julia from sleep, and she rubbed her eyes. More than anything, she wanted to roll over and go back to bed, but a voice interupted her.

“Holy crap! They’re-!” A voice yelled, followed by a smacking sound and a deep sigh.

_ “A time and a place, dude,”  _ another hissed. Julia wrenched her eyes open and slowly sat up. She blinked several times.

Zack and Ivy were staring, awestruck. Zack was rubbing his head, and Ivy simply looked dumbfounded. Next to them, Shadowsan remained scarily neutral. He just stared at Julia, and then at Carmen. His gaze softened almost immediately.

Carmen yawned as she sat up. “Jules, what’s the commo…tion…” She trailed off as her eyes settled on the group. Julia didn’t think she was breathing.

“Boss! You’re okay!” Zack rushed over, followed by Ivy. They almost tackled her into a hug, but Julia intervened.

“Careful, she’s injured,” Julia warned. As Carmen sat up further, the blankets fell, revealing her bandages. 

Carmen huffed, but squeezed Julia’s hand in thanks. “I’m fine,” she promised, turning back towards Zack and Ivy. Carmen pulled them into a hug, one that was  _ far  _ more gentle than the siblings would have been. “It’s… so good to see you guys…”

A single tear ran down her cheek. It was so fast it was almost imperceptible. Carmen wiped it away quickly, but a glance at Zack and Ivy told Julia that they’d seen it as well. Shadowsan stepped closer, mourning in his eyes.

Carmen eased herself out of bed and eased herself into his arms. Julia’s eyes welled. From what she could gather, Shadowsan was like a father to Carmen. She knew that Carmen would want a moment alone with him, so she stood and nodded at the twins. “Here, let’s get a snack from the vending machine. My treat.”

Zack and Ivy glanced at each other - a hidden message - before nodding. Julia grabbed the bag of money and led them from the room. As the door clicked shut and they began walking down the hall, she had a realization. “How did you guys even get in?”

Ivy held up a keycard. “Player got us one.” As Julia was processing how  _ that  _ worked, Ivy cleared her throat. “Is Carm okay?”

Julia looked between her and Zack, then took a deep breath. “Some VILE operatives figured out we were here, and… attacked.” Though she appeared much better off than Carmen, Ivy was studying her arms. Julia hugged herself, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Why wouldn’t she? She was with her (maybe) girlfriend’s adoptive family.

It didn’t help that they were all professional thieves, tall, and muscular. 

Julia realized they were waiting for her to continue. “I took care of the worst of the wounds. She refused to go to a hospital because VILE’s still in the area, and wanted us to leave soon. She should be fine, but… she’s in bad shape.” They stopped in front of the vending machine, and Julia chewed her lip.

Zack and Ivy gave each other another look. They started waving their hands a little and making strange expressions. Julia just stared.  _ Are they… having a conversation?  _ She wondered. 

Finally, Zack broke the silence. “Are you dating the boss?” he blurted. Ivy smacked him. “What? I wanna know?”

“A  _ time  _ and a  _ place!”  _ Ivy repeated. “We just got Carm back from months of her bein’ brainwashed and  _ that’s  _ what you ask her girlfriend?”

“Aha!” Zack cried, flinging an accusatory finger. “You said girlfriend, so you wanna know too!” Ivy groaned.

“Well look at her! She’s embarassed!” she huffed. Julia was red as a beet and desperately hoping they wouldn’t stare at her. Alas, both of them swiveled their heads and looked directly at her. Julia pressed her lips together in a small smile, feeling very small. 

Ivy had the good will to look a little bit apologetic. “There’s no gettin’ past it now,” she said wryly. “Are you datin’ Carm?”

“I… uhm… I hope?” Julia offered. This was absolutely not a conversation she wanted to have right now. “Gosh, that sounded dumb. Well, I mean, she…” Julia trailed off, her mouth dry.  _ They’re staring at me. Say something!  _ “She knows that… that’s…” She cleared her throat and tried again. “We’re… romantically involved, yes, but I don’t know if… I mean… yes.”

“I  _ knew  _ Carm liked her!” Zack’s comment was more directed at Ivy than it was Julia herself, but Julia was just glad the attention was off of her.

“We  _ all  _ did,” Ivy pointed out. “It was  _ fairly obvious.” _

“Shadowsan didn’t know!” Zack argued. “Did you see his face when he walked in?” Julia tilted her head. Shadowsan’s expression had been scarily blank. Although Julia hadn’t ever officially met him, she couldn’t imagine that was his  _ surprised  _ face.  _ Oh god, does that mean he doesn’t approve of me?  _ Her stomach dropped.

“Shadowsan totally knew, and you can’t change my mind,” Ivy shot back. “He even did a background check on Julia of his own free will, and not just asking Play...er…” She shifted her eyes to Julia. “Like I said before, a  _ time  _ and a  _ place,  _ bro!”

“Carmen liked me?” Julia couldn’t help but ask. It was a pitiful question, really. One she shouldn’t be focusing on. She shook herself, and pointed at the vending machine. “Uhm… what do you guys want?”

Zack slung an arm over her shoulder. “She totally did, don’t even worry about it.”

Ivy mimicked his movements. “You know how Carm can be!”

Julia chuckled nervously.  _ Why is everyone so tall? This is unfair.  _ She cleared her throat. “Right. So… do you guys want anything?” She held up the cash. Zack’s eyes widened, and he held out his hands for Julia to put some cash in. While he picked out what he wanted, Ivy pulled Julia aside.

“Carm will be fine,” Ivy assured her. “She’s a tough cookie.” There was a brief pause, and Ivy hesitated. “I know we don’t really know each other that well, but my door’s always open!”

Julia smiled tiredly. Ivy and Zack were trying, that much was clear. “Thank you. I appreciate it.” She cleared her throat. “She really loves you guys. And missed you, a lot.”

Ivy wiped at her eyes. “We love her too.” She cleared her throat as Zack walked back

over with an armful of snacks. Ivy raised her brows. “Really, dude?”

“J said we could get whatever we wanted!” Zack defended himself. Julia blinked.  _ Did he just call me J?  _ The nickname was a small gesture, but somehow it made Julia feel better. More… accepted.

Ivy sighed, and started heading back towards the room. “You think we gave them enough time?” 

“Shadowsan and Carmen?” When Ivy nodded, Julia shrugged. “I suppose. We could knock.” She gently rapped her fist against the door. A few seconds later, Carmen opens it. Julia can tell she’s been crying, but she seems… calmer. Less guilty. Her face softened as she saw Julia.

“I got some chips!” Zack butted in before Julia could say anything. 

“Way too many of them,” Ivy added. They quip back and forth, but Julia paid closer attention to Shadowsan. The sadness hadn’t left his eyes, and she could tell he’d been crying as well. But whatever was said, it left both of them a little calmer, a little happier.

“Zack,” Carmen interrupted. She hugged herself, and wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I’m… I’m really sorry that I-”

Zack drops the snacks and hugs her once more. He whispered something in her ear, and tears welled in Carmen’s eyes once more. She squeezed him tight. Ivy tapped Julia’s shoulder and gestured for her to join. Even Shadowsan leaned in.

When they all finally separated, Carmen seemed much happier. “I’m ready,” she told Shadowsan.

His expression tightened. “Are you certain we should not wait until we get back to the base?”

Carmen shook her head. “I’m done with waiting. You said you have one, and that it’ll work.” She stared at him, and finally he relented, pulling the device from his backpack.

“Luckily ACME considered the chances of you breaking the previous one to be high,” he noted as Carmen pulled up a chair. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Absolutely.” Her smile was determined. Zack and Ivy crowded around one side while Julia stood at the other. Carmen took her hand.

Shadowsan placed the device on Carmen’s head and turned it on. For the first few seconds, everything was fine. Her posture was stiff, and she was panting, but everything seemed fine.

Then she started to scream. 

It was ear splitting and panicked. She squeezed Julia’s hand tightly, causing her to wince in pain. Shadowsan clicked the off button and pulled the device from her head. Julia could barely hear the cries of her friends as she saw Carmen slump against the chair, unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I promised fluff and there IS fluff. There’s just also angst. But hey, there’s a love confession! Those are always nice.


	9. Awake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmen wakes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait! This chapter took entirely too long because it’s sort of a transitional chapter from the first half to the second half of the fic, and it never sounded quite right to me. Eventually I just said “good enough” and here we are.  
> I can’t thank you all enough for your support! You guys are the best!! Stay safe<3

Carmen faded in and out of consciousness. Every time she succumbed back into the darkness, her head rang. Every now and then, there were voices. Soothing voices, worried voices, all of them directed at her.

The images returned as well. It seemed faster, but somehow she was able to comprehend them more clearly. Or perhaps the process was painstakingly slow. It was rather difficult for Carmen to tell. 

Carmen stirred, hearing crying. She tried to reach out, but her body wouldn’t move, and her eyes wouldn’t open. She managed to open her mouth ever so slightly and murmur, “Jules?”

A hand took hers, and the darkness returned.

She came back again, somewhat more coherently. Shadowsan sat at her bedside. His eyes crinkled with relief as she smiled. She blinked and there sat her father, next to him. “Dad?” Carmen struggled to sit up, only to discover she was hooked up to several machines. “Where…?” Her voice was hoarse, and didn’t sound like her own. Her entire body, even, felt like a stranger.

“You’re okay.” Shadowsan’s words were slow, filled with emotion. “You’re going to be okay.” His hand rested on her arm, an arm she could hardly move.

“I…” her vision grew spotty. Shadowsan had disappeared. Now before her sat Zack. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, finding it hard to stay awake.

“It’s okay, Carm,” Zack assured her. He took a step back, and gestured to Julia beside him. She was floating, her eyes closed as she drifted through the air. “And it’s for the better, isn’t it?”

“What?” Carmen tried to open her eyes wider, to focus, but that only made her vision blurrier. When she focused again, Zack’s eyes were hollow and his nose was bleeding.

“Well, at least we’re all dead together!” Zack replied cheerily.

“What?” Carmen could feel the words in her throat as it tightened. “No, no… no no no no…” Julia started to fall, her eyes hollowed out. “No…  _ Julia!” _

“Carmen?” Julia’s voice echoed in her head, panicked and loud but  _ alive.  _ Carmen reached out, but her arms were attatched to… some thing. She tore at it. An arm grabbed her, and she twisted away.

_ Let go of me!  _ she wanted to cry, but her mouth wouldn’t move. Carmen struggled more. “I am sorry” was all she heard before she felt pressure on her neck, and the darkness returned.

  
  
  


It was dark when Carmen finally awoke.

It took several moments for her to realize that she was in her own room, at their HQ. This was especially hard to tell considering that machines and medical supplies were everywhere. They seemed to have been all shut off. She tried to sit up, but her body was stiff and didn’t want to move. She forced herself upright, and her eyes settled on Julia, who was sleeping.

Carefully, he eased herself out of bed, not entirely sure of her plan. All she knew was that she had to move.

Carmen pulled on a sweatshirt and opened the window, slipping into the night.

The streets of San Diego were mostly quiet, surprisingly. Almost serene; almost peaceful. Carmen didn’t stop to appreciate it; she could hardly stop to  _ think.  _ Her legs seemed to know the territory well, and led her away. 

Her destination was unknown to her, but still she walked. She didn’t quite know where she was going, other than it was  _ away.  _ She needed to breathe. She needed to run. Her careful steps turned to jogging which turned to sprinting. Her stamina was low, but she ran until her lungs screamed for air. She only stopped, breathless, as she reached a hill overlooking parts of the city. The darkness of the sky was  _ just  _ starting to fade, but no sun made an appearance.

Carmen took several deep breaths, and then screamed.

Every pent up emotion, every lost and found memory, every piece inside her that had broken… she screamed for all of it. When her breath ran out and her voice grew hoarse, Carmen discovered that tears were running down her face. She watched the teardrops fall into her hands, and briefly wondered why.

Carmen heard a snap behind her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Julia approaching. “Hey, Jules,” Carmen said softly. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?” When there was no reply, she turned.

Julia took a few careful steps forward, covering her mouth with her hand. Her other hand reached out, hesitant - always hesitant - until Carmen took it. Her eyes filled with tears and she didn’t pause as she pulled Carmen into a close embrace.

“You’re okay,” Julia murmured. Carmen’s hands shook as the curled against Julia. “You’re… alive.” She buried her face against Carmen’s jacket. 

“That I am,” Carmen agreed, her voice barely above a whisper. She cleared her throat, watching her tears fall on to Julia’s hair. “Are you okay?”

Julia broke the hug, but kept her arms around Carmen’s waist. It was if she was afraid Carmen would disappear. “I… why wouldn’t I be?  _ You’re  _ okay.” Carmen breifly thought of Julia’s body floating in space, dead, but she shook the thought off. She didn’t dare remove her hands from Julia’s shoulders - perhaps she, too, had an irrational fear her lover disappearing - but she lowered her head, her breathing ragged. “Carmen, we’ve…”

“I’m okay,” Carmen promised. 

“And your memories…?”

“I remember,” she confirmed. It was true, she did remember. But somehow there was still an ache in her heart, still the guilt weighing her down. Still the fury deep in her veins.  _ VILE is going to pay. _

Julia looked relieved, but the worry didn’t leave her eyes. “Carmen…” she murmured.

The way she said Carmen’s name was heartbreak. It was a prayer. A plea. It felt like ages since Carmen had heard her name said so lovingly, so tragic. Carmen swallowed as Julia’s fingertips moved to trace her cheekbones. “I’m okay,” she repeated. “But I have to know. What happened?”

“You… passed out,” Julia explained hesitantly. “We got in the plane and went here. ACME did a pickup, and they got Tigress… but not Coach Brunt. There hasn’t been any other news of VILE. All of us have been taking turns watching you for… two weeks.”

Carmen froze.  _ Don’t panic. You knew that it’d be risky. You knew that it would be bad. But you couldn’t stand another moment of not being whole _ . “I’m glad it wasn’t worse. Hey…” she wiped a tear away from Julia’s face. “Everything will be okay.” Everything  _ would  _ be, as soon as VILE disappeared. Carmen had to believe it. “What else?”

Julia cleared her throat. “You… woke up, occasionally. Eventually you were awake enough for us to remove the IV and machines, and fell into a normal sleep - not a coma.” She wrapped her arms around Carmen, hugging her. “But you’re okay.”

“I’m okay,” Carmen agreed.  _ “And  _ in the arms of the one I love.” She smiled at Julia’s quiet squeak of surprise. “That’s a bonus.” She hesitated. “I’m sorry if I-”

“Carmen,” Julia interrupted firmly. “Enough apologies. You’ve done so much good for the world. You have  _ nothing  _ to apologize for.” She pressed a tender kiss against Carmen’s cheek. “Nearly everything that VILE stole has been identified and returned.”

Carmen’s breathing was ragged.  _ Is everything really going to be fine? Will I get to go home? _

_ Will I get to meet my mother? _

Her eyes blurred, and she cried into Julia’s shoulder until the sun rose.

  
  


Shadowsan was  _ not  _ surprised when Julia and Carmen returned to HQ. He simply nodded at Julia, some sort of understanding passing between them. It was clear to Carmen that they had discussed things while she was asleep.

He opened his arms wide and Carmen crash into them. “I remember,” she murmured. Her eyes were still red from crying, but they welled up a bit. “I’m… back.”

“I never lost hope in you,” Shadowsan assured her. He pulled away as Zack and Ivy barreled towards them.

“Carm!” Ivy skidded to a stop just before crashing into Carmen. Zack, however, bumping right into Ivy, who stumbled forward anyway. “You’re… do you know who we are?” 

“Do you remember us?” Zack added. The two of them looked hesitant, holding back their excitement. Zack glanced at Julia briefly, and Carmen again wondered just how much she missed.

“How could I forget you two?” As soon as the words left her mouth the siblings flung their arms around her. They both murmured how much they’d missed her in her ears. “Come on guys, I’m fine. We already  _ had  _ a whole reunion.”

“I know, but just…” Zack sniffled. “I’m so happy to see you again.” Carmen couldn’t help but grin. No matter what she found with her mother,  _ this  _ was her family. Carmen almost opened her mouth to apologize for trying to kill him, but Zack grabbed her back in a hug once more.

“You’re gonna squeeze her to death!” Ivy scolded him. Zack pulled his arms back, but he was still smiling. “Anyway, Carm, while you were out, I made a giant breakfast!” She pointed back towards the dining room. “C’mon, I’m sure you’re starving!”

The day passed quickly, with more crying and lots of more hugs. Finally, just as the sun was starting to set, Shadowsan brought out a folder. “Carmen, in here is the location of your mother, courtesy of Ms. Argent.”

Carmen suddenly found it very hard to breathe. Julia placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She cleared her throat, and reached for the file.  _ Carlotta Valdez…? An orphanage in Buenos Aires, and it looks like it opened… a little over twenty years ago. _

_ Did she open it to try and find me? Is she… does she know I’m alive? I- _

“I booked you a flight,” Shadowsan continues, drawing Carmen from her thoughts. “It leaves tomorrow.” He sat on the couch across from Carmen. 

_ “Tomorrow?”  _ Carmen asked incredulously. “But… VILE’s still-”

“You need a break,” Julia said quietly. She brushed a bit of Carmen’s hair out of her face and smiled. “And I know how long you’ve been waiting for this.” 

“Yeah. It’s not like we’ll be out of touch,” Ivy put in from where she stood behind Shadowsan. She and Zack each put an arm on his shoulder as they leaned over the couch. “And you’ll get to meet your mom!”

“Plus, with a hit like that? VILE’s not gonna be acting out any time soon,” Zack added. “Ivy and I will be fine. We got ol’ Shadowsan to keep us company!” He gave Shadowsan a grin. Shadowsan grunted. “It’ll be great!”

“We’ll be okay,” Julia agreed. Carmen looked into her eyes and saw the sincerity. She paused. There was something inside her that was empty. Maybe taking down VILE wouldn’t fill the cracks. Maybe finding her mother would.

Carmen smiled, albeit ruefully. “You guys know you’ll always be my family, right?” At the chorus of agreements, she chuckled. “Thank you all for arranging this. I… can’t even say how much it means to me.”

“Aww, we love you too.” Ivy grinned. Shadowsan looked up at the twins for a moment, and then at Julia and Carmen. Ivy nodded.  _ They sure do have a lot of ‘hidden’ signals,  _ Carmen noted. “It’s about time to hit the hay, ain’t it?”

“Uhm…” Zack saw Ivy’s look and then nodded. “Sure!” He and Ivy said their good nights and trailed off to their rooms. Shadowsan quickly followed suite, leaving Carmen and Julia alone.

“You got closer to the team, huh,” Carmen teased. “They’re all  _ very  _ subtle.” Julia chuckled, and Carmen hesitated. There had been something resting on her mind ever since Shadowsan brought up her mother.

“I want you to meet her.” Julia blinked in surprise as Carmen blurted the words. Carmen was a little surprised at herself as well. “My mom. I want you to… to visit me in Argentina.” She saw the hesitancy in Julia’s face and continued on. “Not… not right away, necessarily, but I  _ do  _ want to introduce my girlfriend to my mother, and… I’d miss you.”

“I’d miss you too,” Julia said softly. She took Carmen’s hands in her own, and kissed her forehead. “I’d love to.” Carmen leaned forward, letting her head rest on Julia’s shoulder. She just sat there, breathing, until Julia chuckled. “Maybe we should head to bed?”

Carmen smiled. “Probably,” she agreed, taking Julia’s hand. Her heart jumped a little at  _ we  _ and  _ bed.  _ She knew they had shared one before, but somehow getting her memories back made her a little more nervous. A little less confident.

They had cleared out most of the machines earlier. Now Carmen’s room was mostly how she remembered it. A few knickknacks from travels, some clothes, but other than that mostly empty.

Oh, and Julia’s bags.

“I… got some stuff from my apartment when you were… asleep,” Julia stammered. “Everyone told me to just unload it here, but I’ve been sleeping on the couch.” Her hand was still in Carmen’s. Carmen kissed it. 

“I’m really glad you’re here,” Carmen whispered. She tiptoed forward and slid into bed while Julia took the other side. It was a little strange, at first. Carmen, now that she had her memories back, was a bit more…  _ vulnerable.  _

But Julia wrapped her arms around Carmen, and Carmen felt safe. But Carmen was going to meet her mother tomorrow. But Carmen loved Julia, wholly and completely.

“I love you,” Julia whispered into the darkness. Carmen pulled her closer, kissing her cheek. 

“I love you too,” Carmen murmured. The silence seemed to stretch on indefinitely, until she added, “So are we… together? Dating?”

“I… certainly hope so.” Julia’s hand paused in Carmen’s hair, then kept going. “I can’t believe my girlfriend is an international super thief. How am I going to explain this to my mom?”

Carmen laughed at that. “You could tell her you fell for my  _ irresistible charm?” _ She laughed harder when Julia swatted at her. “Hey! You’re the law enforcement who fell for the criminal she was supposed to catch.”

“The first time we met, you asked if I had a romantic partner,” Julia pointed out. “The  _ second  _ time we met, you stole my weapon, opened my coat to put it back in, then held my hand as we walked to the stage and stole priceless dresses. And the _ third-” _

“I got it, I got it!” Carmen grinned. “So I flirted with you a bit. In my defense, you’re really cute.” Her smile faded as her eyes began to droop. She yawned.

“Tired?”

“Very.” Carmen’s eyes closed. “Goodnight, Jules.”

“Goodnight, Carmen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first described my plan for this fic to one of my friends she called me a sociopath and I still haven’t gotten over that.   
> Anyway.   
> I love hurt/comfort Carulia with all of my soul, so enjoy!


	10. Paper Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julia gives Zack and Ivy a job offer.

Julia cried when she said goodbye to Carmen.

It was almost tragic, how she loved Carmen. How she lost her and won her back and lost her and waited and here she was, losing her again.

_ You’re being dramatic,  _ Julia scolded herself.  _ Carmen’s not leaving forever. She’s visiting her mother, and you’re going to let her spend time there, and then you’re going to wrap everything up in a nice little bow. Then you can join Carmen and meet her mother. _

Julia had been tempted -  _ so  _ tempted - to just go with Carmen to Argentina right now. To leave with her on the plane, to meet her family with her. But she reminded herself how long Carmen has waited for this. How important her own mother was to her.

And she knew Carmen should meet her mother alone.

Not  _ all  _ alone, of course. Her found family was always one call away. Julia included. But Julia felt that Carmen would need some time for just her. And so here she sat, in the Team Red headquarters, sitting down with Shadowsan, Zack, and Ivy. All of them had cried in the last hour, which made for a slightly strange vibe.

Julia had grown exponentially closer with them in her time at the HQ. Though they weren’t super close, Julia felt she understood them a lot better. Perhaps this is why she held her ACME pen in her hand. Perhaps that was why she was doing this.

For Carmen. And for Zack and Ivy themselves.

“Do you guys know what you’re going to do now?” Julia asked. She glanced at Shadowsan. They had discussed this already, and mutually agreed that this was the best possible outcome. 

Zack and Ivy glanced at each other. “Go back to racing, I guess,” Ivy said, sounding a little unsure. “We got a pretty good offer a while back, we could see if that’s still open?” She seemed to be talking more to Zack than anyone else. Julia admired how they stuck together through everything.

“It’s not like there’s much else for us to do,” Zack agreed, shrugging. “VILE’s gone, and Carm’s getting her happily-ever-after.” He lit up as he twisted to look at Shadowsan. “You could teach me how to be a ninja!”

Shadowsan looked physically pained. Julia almost laughed. “We were thinking something… slightly different,” he said slowly. “A way you could continue working to help people and stop crime.”

Ivy caught on quicker than Zack did. She looked directly at Julia. “Are you offering us a  _ job?”  _ she asked, incredulous. “At ACME?” 

Julia nodded.

Zack and Ivy shared a look that lasted several seconds. “Will Carm be alright without us?” she asked, almost hesitantly. “I know she’s got her happily-ever-after, but… that’s it? No more fightin’ crime, or… ya know?” Julia admired how Ivy looked after everyone. 

“VILE’s gone,” Zack reminded her. “Besides, we’ll be workin’ with J!” He saw Julia’s hesitation and paused. “Won’t we?”

“I’m… taking a temporary leave from ACME. Figuring out what I’m going to do. I’ll be back,” she promised. “Probably.” Honestly? She had no idea. She loved her job, yes, but she also loved history. She loved Carmen. She was being pulled in so many different directions.

She just needed time to think.

Shadowsan placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled reassuringly. Julia valued the friendship they had cultivated, not just because Shadowsan was a father figure to Carmen, but because he was a genuinely kind man. She took a deep breath and continued. “In the meantime, should you choose to accept, you’ll be placed under the care of Agent Devineaux.”

Zack chewed on his lip. “I’m in if you are,” he told Ivy.

Ivy nodded, but she was a little more hesitant. “It’s what Carm would’ve wanted.”

Julia almost sighed in relief, but held herself back. This was how she could help. She could wrap up loose ends. Help Carmen,  _ and  _ help herself. 

Help herself focus.

“You two can join whenever you’re ready,” Julia assured Ivy and Zack. She placed her ACME pen on the table. “You can use this to contact Chief, and she’ll get you all sorted out.” She offered them a tired smile. Julia had spent so long trying to work everything out, trying to make everyone happy.

“Isn’t that one yours?” Ivy asked with a frown.

Julia shrugged. “I’m not going to need it. I’ve already worked out my plan with Chief.” Visit her mother for a day or two. Visit Carmen’s mother for a month. Contact Chief. Talk with Carmen about their future together, and choose one of her jobs to return to. 

It might have seemed strange, almost, to plan like this. But Julia wanted to make sure  _ everything  _ worked out. “My flight back to Britain leaves tonight.”

Ivy and Zack shared a long look. Julia wondered if they actually understood what the other was thinking, or if they were just guessing. “Take care of Carm, okay?” Ivy said at last, wiping at her eyes. “I know she’ll be in good hands with you, ‘nd her mom, but… take care of her, alright?”

Julia nodded, the softest of smiles on her face. “Of course.”

  
  


_ “Are you sure you don’t want me to send you directly to Argentina?”  _ Player asked over comms.  _ Again.  _ Julia chuckled as she stepped onto the plane, but there was some regret.

“I think Carmen deserves some time to get to know her mother alone,” Julia said, making her way down the aisle to her seat. “I’ll be joining her shortly. I just…” she trailed off. It seemed more like she was trying to convince  _ herself  _ that this was the right thing to do. “I want to make sure everything is all okay before joining her.”

_ “Is that why you got Ivy and Zack jobs at ACME, and pulled strings to see where Shadowsan’s brother was?”  _ Julia blinked as she put her bags away, almost surprised that Player knew about that. It hadn’t been much - just a bit of research into it.  _ “So why are you so bent on visiting your mother?” _

“She’s the only family I have left,” Julia said carefully, sitting down. There was a beat of silence, so Julia continued. “She always said I didn’t visit her enough, didn’t tell her enough about what was happening in her life.” Her hand curled around the necklace she wore, the one her mother gave her to remind her to call. “It’d be better for me to tell her about Carmen in-person.”

The silence stretched on a little longer. Julia didn’t really know how she could define her and Player’s friendship. With Zack and Ivy, things had been easy. They’d been ready to accept her, to give her a  _ nickname,  _ to make her feel okay. With Shadowsan, they were both adults who cared for Carmen. He was a father figure to her, but it was clear he approved of Julia. That made things a little less…. terse.

She didn’t have the oppurtunity to talk with Player all that often. He was the one who reached out, most of the time. It was clear that he was young, but also that he’d grown up far too fast. Taken on a lot of responsibility, and shouldered it well.

_ “Wouldn’t it be better to have Carmen with you?”  _ Player seemed genuinely curious. He didn’t ask a lot of questions, which Julia appreciated. He was probably used to not pressing  _ too _ deeply into wounds or secrets - he was Carmen’s oldest friend, and knew Shadowsan fairly well too. 

“My mother can be… difficult, at times.” Julia sighed as the flight attendant began their mandatory safety speech. A different flight attendant began walking around with the little cart. “It’ll be easier for me to just…  _ mention  _ her. Making it easier when we both visit.”

_ “If you say so.”  _ Player fell silent for a few moments as the flight attendant with the cart paused next to Julia. Julia blinked. The woman’s hair was split neatly down the middle in two different colors, hanging loosely. Her eyes seemed sharp, like they could cut glass. They settled on Julia.

“Would you like something to drink?” The woman asked. Julia frowned.  _ Didn’t they… only come around with the cart after the plane was in the air? _

She must’ve gotten used to private flights with ACME. “Water, please.” She watched the woman pour the water into a plastic cup, then hand it to her. “Thank you.” The woman said nothing, just turned to the people on the other side of the aisle. “My flight to Argentina is two days after I arrive in Britain, right?” She took a sip of water, and her eyes started to close.

_ “Yup, it’s…..” _

_ … _

_ … _

  
  
  
  


“Time to wake up, pumpkin.”

The voice held a strong presence. It seemed almost… familiar? Julia slowly opened her eyes, when the realization struck her.

She was no longer on the plane.

She twisted, but her hands were bound.  _ No, no, no. Not again.  _ Julia swallowed, forcing herself to keep calm.  _ Deep breathes. Survey your surroundings.  _ She might have been tied to a chair, but she could handle this.

Until Carmen saved her.

It was a dimly lit room. Paper figures were stacked on every wall, every cabinet. That should’ve been the first clue. Julia recalled the same multicolor paper at crime scenes. 

It was Coach Brunt who had spoke. She was sitting directly in from of Julia, crossing her arms. “There we go. Nice and easy.”

“If I may,  _ coach,”  _ another voice cut in from behind her. Julia twisted to try and see who it was, but something that felt very similar to a blade was pressed to her throat. When it was pulled away, Julia saw that it was a… paper sheep. “I need some time to speak with her.  _ You  _ can act as supervisor to the doctor.”

Coach Brunt looked pissed, but didn’t question it. How was such an intimidating figure scared away by this person? The person that Julia hadn’t even  _ seen  _ yet. Coach Brunt stalked away, opening a door to a  _ far  _ brighter room and stepping inside. The door clicked shut behind her.

“Now that  _ that’s  _ taken care of.” The figured behind her sat in the chair Coach Brunt had been in prior. It was the flight attendant, a triumphant smirk on her face. “We should get introductions over with, shouldn’t we? I’m Paper Star.”

She waited. Julia said nothing, frowning.  _ Think. Paper Star. The one who stole the Magna Carta. Clearly a master of origami. Maybe this place is hers?  _ It would make sense, given the more and more impressive origami pieces on every open surface.  _ Somehow she holds authority over Coach Brunt. _

The paper sheep lodged itself in the chair, just behind Julia’s head. Her heart thudded eratically in her chest. “I’m waiting.  _ Jules.” _

“You don’t get to call me that,” Julia snapped immediately. Paper Star grinned, pleased at the reaction she got. “It’s  _ Julia.” _

“So, Jules.” Paper Star began absentmindedly began folding paper again. “You’re a smart cookie, so I’m going to talk to you logically. Kay?” She paused for dramatic effect, her eyes cold and calculated. “You’re at  _ my  _ mercy. Not the faculty’s.  _ Mine.”  _ She stood. “As long as you understand that, we’re going to get along just fine.”

Julia gritted her teeth, and said nothing. She was confident. Cocky, even. Triumphant. Paper Star sent a fleeting look at the door to the other room, then leaned closer to Julia, holding a paper flower in her hand that hadn’t been there before.

“If you’re not going to say anything, I can think of a way to make you,” Paper Star mused. “It’ll be a little more painful for you, of course, but still effective.”

“What would you have me say?” Julia’s voice was angrier than she expected. Paper Star didn’t look surprised. She looked pleased. 

“A reaction would be nice.” Paper Star grabbed Julia’s chin and lifted it, forcing Julia to look her in the eyes. “But I suppose your little  _ girlfriend’s  _ reaction would be worth all this silence.”

“Don’t you  _ dare  _ touch her!” Julia seethed, yanking her chin away. Paper Star laughed, taking a step back and sitting on the chair once more. 

“Such fire! But don’t worry.” Paper Star placed the paper flower she had created on a nearby table. “What the faculty got wrong, when brainwashing Carmen, was that wasn’t the way to  _ hurt  _ her.” Her smirk was off-putting when matched with her wild eyes. “To make a black sheep  _ hurt,  _ take away it’s flock.” She paused, propping her chin up on her hand. “Take… away…  _ you.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is SO fun to write Paper Star.   
> Side note, not me thinking about how sad Player is now that both Carmen AND Jules have been kidnapped by VILE while on a call with him.


	11. Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmen meets her mother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *breaks down the door* Are y’all ready for some ANGST????? No??? Too late lmao-

Carmen was nauseous when she knocked on the door. Dizzy, even. Her eyes were tired from the jet lag, and her hands were shaky, but she smiled when she locked eyes with someone who could only be her mother.

Carlotta gasped, pressing her hands to her mouth. Tears welled in her eyes, eyes that felt like home. Her hands hesitantly reached towards Carmen, shaking. “Those eyes - I’d recognize those eyes anywhere.”

Carmen held up the matryoshka doll, because that was all she could offer. Her words were stuck in her throat. She couldn't breathe, couldn’t  _ think,  _ because suddenly her mother was wrapping Carmen in her arms and suddenly everything was okay.

“It’s really you,” Carlotta whispered. “Little wolf.” Her arms were tight around Carmen. Unwavering. Tears sprung to Carmen’s eyes.  _ How much am I going to cry since I woke up?  _ she wondered. Carlotta took a hesitant step back, holding her at arms length. “You… what can I call you?”

“Carmen.” It’s barely a whisper. Barely even audible, and still Carlotta hears it. Still she wrapped Carmen in a hug once more, her chest rising and falling quickly. Carmen could hear every breath she took.

_ “Carmen,”  _ Carlotta repeated. “Carmen, Carmen, Carmen.” She finally let Carmen go, tears falling freely down her cheeks. “Tell me everything,  _ please.”  _ She pulled Carmen inside. A few kids and teenagers watched Carmen with careful eyes as she was dragging through the house to a kitchen. Carmen sat at the table. This new environment was homely. Light streamed in through every window, bathing everything in a warm yellow. It was picturesque, in the way that cups of cocoa against cold winter skies were, in the way that love filled every corner of the room.

“Mama, who is this?” a young boy asked, tugging at Carlotta. She smiled and stroked his hair, and Carmen’s heart squeezed. This is what she had been missing out on. The touch of a mother, the assurance as she told him to run along. The boy skipped away, but other children were mindlessly wandering about.

“Would you like something to drink?” Carlotta asked, putting her hands over Carmens. The touch was warm. “I’ll put on a kettle for tea.” She stroked Carmen’s face, tears still in her eyes as she moved away.

“Thank you,” Carmen murmured. She paused. “My father, you have to know, he’s…”

“Dead,” Carlotta finished. Her tone wasn’t completely devoid of emotion, but it was a healed scar. Tinged with sadness, but not miserable. “And yet  _ you survived.”  _ She smiled, but it was almost heartbroken. “All these years… where have you been?”

Carmen glanced around, to the clearly eavesdropping kids nearby. “Back to father’s.... occupational island,” she said slowly, her fingers intertwining.  _ If only Jules were here… but she was right. I need to have this chance to meet my mother alone.  _ “I was raised there, following in his footsteps. Then I… escaped, and spent the last few years of my life hunting them down.”

“My little wolf, you have been so strong,” Carlotta murmured, sitting down next to Carmen. “And you have made your way home at last.”

Carmen found that she was afraid. There was something, deep inside, that didn’t trust this happiness. That didn’t trust the security of a home, that didn’t want to believe that she could be safe and happy.

Carmen couldn’t give in to that fear. She was here, now, with her  _ mother,  _ her  _ family.  _ Carlotta squeezed Carmen’s hands again.

“Tell me about yourself,” Carlotta urged. “I… I have missed out on so much, but you’re here at last.” She smiled, but it faded a bit when another child wandered in. “Ruby!”

“Hi,” Ruby said at Carmen. She mostly ignored Carlotta, but waved her tiny little hands.

“Hello,” Carmen greeted. Ruby grabbed at Carmen’s arm and pulled it down until she could reach Carmen’s hand. Carmen glanced at Carlotta, who just shrugged and smiled.

Ruby pressed something into Carmen’s hand, and grinned. “Buh-bye!” Carmen and Carlotta watched Ruby wander off. Carmen opened her hand to see that it was a little pebble from outside.

“She does that to everyone.” Carlotta peered at the stone, which was small and gray in color. Carmen tucked it into her pocket. “Love to give, but doesn’t have much to offer.”

“The kids seem great,” Carmen chuckled, placing it on the table. Carlotta laughed a bit at that. “About me. Well, I… uhm, up until recently, I was kind of… an international criminal.”

Carlotta laughed again, louder this time. “You really are your father’s daughter!” It felt good, to be similar to her dad. Like a strange loneliness withinh her had been filled, and she felt safe again. “I am sorry we could not have the life we always wanted for you.”

Carmen smiled sadly. “We have all the time in the world, now.”

  
  


It was late in the night when they finally stopped talking. Carmen’s voice was sore. It was almost awkward, the years that they’d missed out of together. But Carlotta was understanding, and funny, and possessed a sort of spirit to her. A constant wish for knowledge, for travel, for new experiences.

“I’m happy with my life here,” Carlotta had told her. “I opened this orphanage to find you, but I see endless stories and love with every child.”

Carmen supposed that a constant search for something, a constant want for something  _ new  _ \- even something as little as caring for new children, or picking up new hobbies (apparently, Carlotta was  _ quite  _ good at a variety of strange things) - ran in the family.

Everything was perfect, and Carmen was waiting in earnest to see Julia again. She knew it hadn’t been that long, but everything in her life was  _ finally  _ coming together. Julia had assured her she’d take care of Zack and Ivy, but Carmen was still planning a trip back to see them again.

_ All  _ of her family was important to her, old and new.

Carmen walked into the room that Carlotta gave her (“It was supposed to be yours, all that time ago, and I’ve kept it empty every since”) and smiled. The room was clean, almost remarkably so. Everything was set up perfectly, with dozens of little trinkets - presumably from foreign travel - on shelves. The bed itself was made, and a calico cat slumbered on top of it. The cat lifted their head when Carmen entered, but made no other movement.

“Hello,” Carmen whispered. She crept forward and let the cat sniff her hand. They purred, and Carmen checked their collar. “Aww, your name is…. Pea? Bit of a strange name for a cat.”

Pea meowed, rubbing against Carmen’s hand. Carmen smiled and laid back on the bed, one hand absentmindedly petting the cat. This was perfect, wasn’t it? She had her family, she had a  _ cat,  _ and she could finally be happy. VILE was gone.

Maybe she  _ should  _ relax. Maybe Carmen could come to trust in happiness, and not worry that it would all be ripped away in a moments notice. Everything would be fine, wouldn’t it? Julia was visiting her mother, and would come here soon, and then Carmen could be happy.

She finally checked her phone after leaving it on silent all day, and frowned.  _ Five missed messages from Player?  _ She dialed his number. On the second ring, he picked up.

_ “Red, are you okay?” _ He sounded panicked. Worried. But why? Everything was fine, wasn’t it? Carmen could relax, couldn’t she? 

“I’m fine,” Carmen replied, a bit dumbstruck. “Why, did something happen?” 

She was met with silence for a few moments, then cursing.  _ “It’s Julia.” _

Carmen stopped breathing.

She didn’t think she could even blink.

_ “Carmen?”  _ Player called, a bit more hesitant this time.  _ “Are you still there?” _

Carmen could barely focus on his words. The bed swayed underneath her, so Carmen leaned back, trying to steady herself. Something bile rose in her throat, but she fought it down. Her hands were cold as she pulled her headphones on, to stop anyone from overhearing.

Pea curled up beside her. Carmen pet him quietly. His rumbling purrs helped calm her, ground her. Keep her from freaking out… well, freaking out  _ more. _

“I’m here, Player,” she responded shortly, trembling. “What happened to Jules?” There was a moment of hesitation, like Player could sense her fear. Carmen knew that he wouldn’t have brought it up if it wasn’t serious - he wanted her to enjoy her time off. He wanted her to  _ have  _ time off. It was sweet that Player cared, but… “Player, what happened.”

A statement. A  _ command. _

_ You will tell me what happened to Julia. _

_ “We - she was on a plane,”  _ Player explained, his voice unsteady. Carmen realized that maybe after all that time she’d been unconscious, maybe Player and Julia had become friends. That maybe this was almost as hard as him as it was on her.  _ “She… she got a drink from a flight attendant - water, I think - and asked about her flight, then… radio silence.” _

“Maybe it was the connection?” Carmen asked. She frowned. “Don’t they only serve drinks after the flight takes off?”

Silence.

_ “Carmen, I messed up,”  _ Player whispered. His voice was choked _. “The flight hadn’t taken off yet - I think that maybe she… was kidnapped.” _ He kept pausing, kept rethinking what he said, panic leaking into his words.  _ “And I didn’t warn her - she was on a call with me, and I didn’t take extra precautions, and she just disappeared, just like -” _

_ … Just like when you disappeared,  _ Carmen’s mind filled in. She sighed, trying to calm down. Player needed her to be strong.

Julia needed her to be strong.

“Have you looked on the security cameras to see if anyone suspicious was a flight attendant?” Carmen asked after a few moments. She tried to steady her breathing, tried to focus. She heard Carlotta’s voice in the distance, and guilt rose within her.

_ “No,” _ Player admitted, his voice still shaky. “ _ I didn’t know… I thought that the plane just took off and there was poor connection, I didn’t realize until later that… I didn’t want to...” _

So it’d been hours.  _ Hours,  _ at least, since Julia had gone missing.

_ Don’t snap at Player, it’s not his fault, you’re in this together. Keep it together. Keep it together. _

Maybe if she kept repeating it, she would.

“Check security footage,” Carmen commanded. There was a pause, followed by aggressive typing. Player inhaled sharply. “What?”

_ “It’s Paper Star,”  _ he gasped.  _ “She was one of the flight attendants, she must’ve taken Julia away.” _ He paused, and there was more typing.  _ “I’m not seeing anything else, except that the security camera’s all mysteriously broke. She took them out, but in a way that no one could catch her.” _

“Shit,” Carmen cursed softly.  _ Where would Paper Star take her?  _ “It’s always a game to her. Like… like it was for me, when I was… brainwashed.” She stood, and started to pace the room. “She might be working alone… but if she saw some way she could take advantage of the remnants of VILE…”

Carmen swallowed.  _ “I… I can check traffic lights, try to see where she went.”  _ He was trying, he was doing what he could. Carmen couldn’t fault him, couldn’t blame him for any of this.

It wasn’t his fault. It was hers. For letting her guard down, for believing that VILE was truly gone, for thinking that maybe she could have a happy ending.

But there was no happy ending, not for her.

“Paper Star is ruthless,” Carmen said softly. Her footsteps were almost imperceptible, so she wouldn’t wake anyone up. “But she’s playing it safe, deleting her evidence. Being careful. She took Julia; she must know  _ something.  _ Must know that she’s important to me, somehow. How? The train?” No, it couldn’t have been the train. It had to be someone who knew that Carmen had grown close to Julia recently, someone who Paper Star could take advantage of, someone  _ wounded- _

“Coach Brunt,” Carmen realized. “Paper Star may be playing it safe in order to make the first blow the most painful, but Coach Brunt has never been good at laying low. Look for her.”

It made some semblance of sense. If Paper Star found Coach Brunt, having lost her leadership and the security of VILE, she could take advantage of her. Paper Star was similar to Maelstrom in that way; always thinking differently. More  _ cruel.  _

The way that Carmen did, when she was evil.

_ “Good thinking.”  _ Player fell silent, the only sound was his typing.  _ “Found her. She was last seen in a small town in Utah, Moab. Looks like it’s a good tourist stop, since it’s pretty close to a lot of national parks and has some rafting and rappelling opportunities. Looks like it’s pretty popular for all things outdoors.”  _ He paused.  _ “You don’t think…” _

“It doesn’t often rain in Utah, does it?” Carmen asked, grabbing her bag. She hadn’t unpacked her clothes yet, luckily, so she was prepared. “If Paper Star had some sort of secret hideout, she’d put it somewhere dry.”

If Paper Star had some sort of escape plan, it wouldn’t be in Britain or somewhere rainy. It’d be somewhere dry, somewhere that wasn’t windy. Utah would be perfect. 

And if she was playing it safe, she had something planned. Paper Star loved to stand out, loved to play a  _ game.  _

_ Just like I did. _

There must be something truly wicked brewing.

_ “Utah’s a desert, Red,”  _ Player said dryly. He paused, typing some more.  _ “Want me to book you a flight there?” _

“Immediately.” She laced up her shoes and stood at the doorway, glancing back at Pea. “The plane has to leave  _ now.  _ I’m already wasting time.”

_ “It’ll be done. The plane will be ready to leave when you get to the airport.”  _ Player hesitated.  _ “What are you going to tell your mother?” _

“Let me handle that.” Carmen clicked the light off and exited the room. “Thanks for everything, Player. I’ll let you know when I’m at the airport.” She hung up before he could say anything else. Dealing with her mother was for her and her alone to do.

“Carmen?” Carlotta was already in the hall when Carmen pulled the door shut. “What’s going on?” She rubbed her eyes and inhaled sharply when she saw Carmen’s bag.

Carmen weighed her words carefully before speaking. Guilt pricked at her, for passing through Carlotta’s life as quick as a breath of air. “I have to save someone,” she said at last. “Someone very important to me, someone I… someone who’s in danger because of me.”

When would Carmen be happy?

When would everyone she loved be safe?

Carlotta’s heartbroken look held a degree of understanding, which somehow made it worse. She tiptoed closer and kissed Carmen’s forehead. “Do what you must, little wolf _.  _ I have waited over twenty years to see you again - what is a few days more?”

It almost hurt more, knowing she was breaking Carlotta’s heart and yet would still be able to come home. Like her mistakes were forgiven, like she shouldn’t be hated for everything she’s done.

She shook the thought off.  _ I am loved,  _ she told herself.  _ That’s a good thing.  _ She pulled Carlotta into a hug.

“Thank you,” Carmen whispered, closing her eyes to stop the tears from falling. “I’ll be back before you know I’m gone, I promise.”

“I know. Goodbye, until we meet again,” Carlotta whispered. She pulled away, sending Carmen a last look of sadness as she closed the door to her room. Carmen slowly made her way out the door.

_ I’ll be back before you know I’m gone, I promise. _

But was it a promise she could keep? Carmen had made so many promises. She promised herself that she’d right the wrongs she had committed. That she would be better.

She promised Julia that she wouldn’t run off and make whoever hurt her pay.

She  _ promised,  _ and now she ran off into the night, as broken as those promises.

And yet here she was, having let everyone else deal with VILE. Having righted  _ no  _ wrongs, and running off to make Paper Star and Coach Brunt pay. 

So she made one more promise, one she intended to keep.

_ I’ll get you back, Jules. _

_ Whatever it takes. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes the cat’s name is Pea. Yes it’s short for something. If you know you know. If not I won’t be providing context.
> 
> Anyway woohoo five chapters left!!


End file.
